The Lost World Tournament
by Arglefumph
Summary: Gohan, aged 13, enters the World Martial Arts Tournament, where he faces off against a certain black-haired girl in the Junior Division Finals...
1. The Junior Division Championships

**Author's Note: **This story came to life, after I started wondering about the unseen World Martial Arts Tournament in DragonBall Z. You know, the one held during the seven year gap, between the Cell Games and the Saiyaman plotlines.

We know Videl won the Junior Division in this tournament, and that Hercule defeated Spopovich in that tournament (thanks to a flashback in the episode with the fight between Spopovich and Videl), but that's about it.

So I decided to have Gohan enter this tournament. Other people have played around with the idea of "what if Gohan and Videl met when they were younger?" in their stories. The general consensus is that Gohan and Videl would get off to a better start, if they met before high school.

That's not what happens here.

* * *

><p>The day was Sunday, and it was Gohan's thirteenth birthday. He was trying his best to enjoy his special day, but he was having a little bit of trouble, due to the fact that a crazy girl was trying to kill him.<p>

Almost effortlessly, Gohan dodged the fierce volley of punches that came at him.

"I'm going to _destroy_ you, Gohan Son!" Videl shouted. "You'll wish you were never born!"

_This girl is absolutely insane,_ Gohan realized. _She is literally out of her mind._

"WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU?" Videl demanded.

_How on Earth did I get into this mess?_ Gohan wondered, even though he knew the answer. It was _his _idea to sneak out of the house, after all.

Originally, Gohan wanted to celebrate his birthday by having a big party, with all of his friends. Chi-Chi flat-out refused. She never liked the Z-Fighters to begin with, and she didn't want to celebrate the fact that her precious baby boy was becoming a surly, rebellious teenager.

"Rebellious" was apparently the right word to use, because Gohan made secret plans to sneak out of the house and meet up with Bulma. They were going to have a party at Capsule Corp, but while the two of them were planning, Gohan learned that the World Martial Arts Tournament was being held on his birthday.

Gohan immediately changed his mind, and he decided that his birthday present should be going to the tournament, instead. He only wanted to be a spectator, but Bulma had convinced him to sign up to compete in the newly-formed Junior Division.

"It'll be a cinch for you to win," she said. "And once your mother hears about the prize money, she won't be mad at you for sneaking out."

Gohan reluctantly agreed, and before you knew it, he was in the final round, facing off against Videl Satan. He had never met her before, and quite frankly, he was glad. While she was the most interesting fighter he fought against all day, there was no denying the fact that she was completely bonkers.

"RAAAAAGH!" Videl shouted. "_Stop! Dodging! Raugh!_"

Gohan had never seen such rage since the time Vegeta flew off the handle and attacked Cell, right after Future Trunks died. Gohan was somewhat scared that this strange girl could get so angry at a complete stranger.

"You have to realize by now that you're too slow," Gohan said, trying in vain to reason with his opponent. "There's no way you can hit me."

"_I'll show your _[bad words] _too slow!_" Videl said.

"You know, when I first heard that they were instituting a Junior Division this year, I was a little skeptical," the announcer said into the microphone. "But this championship match is amazing! The children of the two previous champions, going up against each other, in a battle of skill, determination and—"

Videl's concentration broke for a second, as the announcer's words penetrated her mind. _Previous champion? Does he mean—?_

_There!_ Gohan thought. He sprang forward, ducking under Videl's arm. As he quickly moved past the girl, he gave her a quick shove from the side. She was pushed towards the edge of the arena, but she was better at martial arts than Gohan expected, because she was able to turn around before she fell out.

The look on her face was pure hatred. The look on _his_ face was pure annoyance. What was wrong with this stupid girl? Didn't she know when to quit?

Videl ran towards Gohan, and at the last possible second, she jumped into the air for a kick attacked, aimed right at his head. Gohan lifted his arms at unheard-of speed and grabbed her leg in his wrist.

"What the—?" Videl asked. For a second, she was being held in midair, by Gohan's grip on her leg. But that was impossible, wasn't it? No one could hold another person several feet off of the ground, simply by holding her ankle.

Gohan dropped Videl. "Just give up, already!" he said. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Videl landed on the ground, and tilted her head up, getting the hair out of her eyes. "I _want_ to hurt you!" Videl said. "I want you and everyone else to suffer!"

"You've got major issues," Gohan realized.

Videl's rage boiled, and she said the dirtiest words she could think of. These would later be censored out when the tournament was shown on TV.

"Fine!" Gohan said. "Don't blame me when you end up in the hospital, you freaking idiot!"

Videl lunged at Gohan, from her position on the ground. He stretched out his arm and put his hand on her forehead. Gripping her head tightly, like a basketball, he lifted her up into the air. With his arm facing up to the sky, he looked like a strange version of the Statue of Liberty, with a squirming Videl in place of a torch.

"Hey!" Gohan said, calling to the announcer. "If I broke her arm or something, would that count as excessive force?"

"Yes, I believe so," the announcer said. "Part of the reason they invented the Junior Division was to _avoid _injuries like those."

"Just checking," Gohan said. He didn't want to hurt Videl more than he had to in order to win, but holding back his Saiyan strength was not always easy.

Videl was tugging on Gohan's arm, to no avail. In frustration, she grabbed the large lock of hair that hung over his forehead and pulled.

"OW!" Gohan said. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed Videl aside and grabbed his head. "That hurt, you crazy [bad word]!"

"Yeah, we're definitely going to have to censor this," the announcer told his cameraman. The cameraman nodded.

Videl didn't respond with words, but with her fists and feet. A furious barrage of attacks followed, and Gohan dodged them all, until he decided it wasn't worth the effort. Imitating Cell, he stood up straight and didn't flinch at all as Videl attacked him.

"Ha!" Videl said. "Not able to dodge anymore!"

"I'm not trying, you idiot," Gohan said.

Videl scowled, and she rubbed the back of her hand, which was hurting for some reason. After delivering another punch, she realized the problem was Gohan.

"What are you, made out of concrete?" she asked. "And why don't you seem to be hurt when I hit you?"

"You're too weak to be able to hurt me," Gohan said. "Sorry." He drew his arm back, then punched her in the chest. She flew backwards, sliding on her butt and landing outside the ring.

"Gohan wins!" the announcer cried.

The crowd cheered loudly.

"No!" Videl said. "NO NO NO NO!"

* * *

><p>Like a true champion, Hercule was busy curling his hair, while sitting inside the private champion room. When he heard the tournament crowd cheering outside, he scowled.<p>

"Great, I missed the whole thing!" he said.

Interiorly, he cursed at his soon-to-be-fired hairstylist, who had the _worst_ sense of timing ever. Seriously, he had _all day_ to prep Hercule's hair for the tournament, and _when_ does he schedule the appointment? Right when Videl was fighting in the final round of the Junior Division!

Hercule checked his watch. There were still five more minutes left to go on his hair curlers. Angry, Hercule turned his head towards the TV in the wall. The sports channel covering the fight was _still_ on commercial break.

"Live broadcast, my foot," Hercule said, plopping down in front of the TV.

_I hope Videl won,_ Hercule thought. _It's going to be impossible living with her if she lost. Then again, it's __**been**__ impossible living with her for the past week or so..._

* * *

><p>In particular, Hercule was thinking of an incident which occurred two days earlier. As usual, Videl was in the mansion's basement gym, beating the stuffing out of a punching bag.<p>

"Videl?" a hesitant voice asked.

"Hey, Dad," Videl said, without turning around or stopping her attacks. "What's up?"

"I just looked at the clothes you packed away," Hercule said. "Is there a reason you're throwing out all your dresses?"

"I told you, I'm too old for that stupid girly stuff now," Videl said. "Don't you ever listen to me? Sheesh!"

"Is it because your mother bought those clothes for you?" Hercule asked softly.

Videl stopped punching the punching bag and turned around.

"What?" she asked. "Why would you...?"

"You've changed ever since she died," Hercule said. "You cut your hair, you're obsessed with training, and you never want to talk to me anymore."

"I...that's not true!" Videl said. "I just...I'm growing up and changing now, that's all! I just turned thirteen, you know!"

"I know that!" Hercule said. "But I'm still worried about you! Do you know how hard it is for me?"

"Hard for you, yeah, right," Videl said. "You have _such_ a hard life, Mr. World Famous Millionaire."

"My wife died two weeks ago, and now my daughter is acting like a complete stranger who hates me!" Hercule said. "I lost Denaira; I don't want to lose you, too."

"I'm _fine_, Dad," Videl said, turning back around. "I don't need your help. I can...I can get through this alone."

"No, you—"

"RAAAAGH!" Videl shouted, delivering an extra-fierce punch to the punching bag and hoping her dad would take the hint.

"Winning the Junior Division won't bring her back, you know," Hercule said.

"Any _other_ clichés you want to shove down my throat?" Videl asked. "Let me guess. It's not your fault she died."

"Well, it's not," Hercule said. "Don't tell me you still feel bad about that!"

"Bad about that?" Videl asked. "She _died! _She died right in front of me! Those [bad word] killed her, and I...I didn't do anything!"

"They had guns," Hercule said. "You couldn't have stopped them."

"I know that," Videl said. "There was nothing I could do."

She was lying, of course. No matter what, she couldn't shake the feeling that she could have saved her mother from those thugs, if she was strong enough or fast enough. Videl's desire to avenge her mother and stop criminals would eventually lead to her helping the police department, but right now, Videl's main focus was the World Martial Arts Tournament. She couldn't explain why, but it felt like if she could prove herself as the champion fighter, it would somehow make things right.

"Then will you please take a break from training and spend some time with me?" Hercule asked.

"I can't," Videl said. "This is important to me. I...I'll spend time with you after the tournament, I promise."

Hercule sighed loudly. "If that's what you really want..." he said.

* * *

><p>Back in the present day, Hercule was shaken out of his memories by the TV station returning from commercial break to show its coverage of the Junior Division fight.<p>

_About time!_ Hercule thought. _I need to know who won!_

"Why does the audio keep cutting out?" Hercule wondered, as cheered Videl on. The little wimp fighting her got in _one_ lucky hit, and somehow he was able to hold her up without any effort—clearly, it was some sort of trick, or he was secretly an acrobat—but Videl was undoubtedly winning the fight.

Hercule was just about ready to declare victory, when he saw Gohan punch Videl in the chest, and out of the ring.

Hercule immediately spit out the soda he was drinking, and his jaw dropped.

"Hey, no one's allowed to touch my daughter there!" he said. "Not even in a fight! That little punk is gonna get it!"

Hercule removed his hair curlers as quickly as possible, when a short monk entered the room.

"Mr. Hercule, they're ready for your fight with the Junior Division Champion now, so..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready!" Hercule said, getting angry. "How _dare_ that no-good loser hurt my Videl?"

* * *

><p>At the ringside, Videl was being forcibly detained by four buff security guards.<p>

"Let me go, you [bad word] idiots!" Videl screamed. "I still have to beat the [bad word] out of that little [bad word]!"

"Not a chance," one of the security guards said. Videl had already broken free of their grip once and attacked Gohan, like a deranged maniac. They weren't going to let her get a second chance to attack.

"Videl!" Hercule said, stepping out towards the arena.

"Dad!" Videl said.

"We're going to have a chat about your language, young lady," Hercule said, putting on a pair of sunglasses. "But first, I've got a scrawny little runt to fight."

"Kick his [bad word], Dad!" Videl cheered.

"These people are insane," the security guard grunted.

"And here's the World Champion himself, Hercule!" the announcer said. "As promised, the reward for winning the junior division is ten thousand dollars, as well as a fight with the Champ! Is there anything you'd like to say, Hercule?"

"Yes, there is!" Hercule said. "I don't know how you beat my daughter, kid, but rest assured, you're not going to beat me!"

"Is...that a hair curler?" the announcer asked, staring at Hercule's hair.

"Uh, no!" Hercule said, quickly grabbing a pink hair curler that he had missed, then stuffing it into his pocket.

Gohan grinned. "You haven't changed at all, have you?" he asked.

"Wha—what?" Hercule said. "What do you mean, I haven't changed?"

"Don't you recognize me?" Gohan asked. "It's been three years, but—"

"I've never seen you before in my life, Runt!" Hercule said. He whirled his strong arm around and pointed right at Gohan's face. "Stop trying to intimidate me!"

"Do the words 'Pizza Delivery Boy' mean anything to you?" Gohan asked quietly, so the cameras couldn't hear.

Something clicked in Hercule's mind. He prided himself on the fact that he never forgot a face, and he suddenly realized that this boy looked a good deal like the boy from the Cell Games. All except for their hair color, eye color, and...okay, never mind, they looked nothing alike.

"You're gonna lose!" Hercule said. "Full grown men, with decades of experience, have failed to defeat the Champ! An inexperienced nobody like you doesn't stand a chance!"

"Hercule! Hercule! Hercule!" the crowd cheered.

"I wasn't afraid of Cell, and I'm not afraid of you," Gohan said. "Bring it."


	2. Gohan's Plan

Gohan made an ugly face at Hercule, and he was thinking uncharacteristically mean thoughts about exposing the World Champion Phony.

Hercule made an equally ugly face at Gohan. In the Champ's eyes, Gohan deserved to be punished for defeating Videl. It didn't matter that Gohan was just a kid; he was going to feel some major pain.

"All right, contestants! Get ready in three, two, o—"

"Hold it! HOOOOOLD IT!" a loud female voice shouted.

It was Bulma, who had run to the ringside. She was waving her arms like a maniac.

"Who are you?" the announcer asked.

"I'm responsible for Gohan," Bulma said. "And I have to talk to him, _now_."

"Just a moment folks," the announcer announced. "It seems that Gohan's mother here needs to talk to him for a second."

"Make it quick," Hercule said, giving Bulma an ugly look. Bulma wasn't fazed in the slightest, as Hercule's dirty looks were nothing compared to Vegeta's.

"What's up, Bulma?" Gohan asked.

"What the heck are you _doing?_" Bulma asked. "Fighting Hercule?"

"It's the prize for winning the Junior Division," Gohan said. "And it's great! I can prove to the world that _I_ bet Cell, not this guy!"

"You _can't_ beat him,"Bulma said. "Everyone will figure out that you're half-alien!"

"No, they won't," Gohan said. "They couldn't figure that out at the Cell Games, so why would they figure it out now?"

"Look, I know this guy deserves to lose to you," Bulma said. "But you have to throw this fight. Beating him would be way more trouble than it's worth."

"There's nothing you can say to change my mind," Gohan said. "I'm going to beat him, and that's final."

Bulma pulled out her trump card. "What would your mother say?" she asked.

Gohan paused for a moment.

...

"Okay, fine, I'll throw the fight," he said.

"Good boy," Bulma said.

Bulma backed away from the arena, into the ground-level spectators area. The only other people there were an angry-looking Videl and the wary security guard who was keeping an eye on her.

Bulma sat down next to Videl. Videl took one look at Bulma and frowned harder.

"Are you really Gohan's mother?" Videl asked, without any introduction.

"No, I'm just a friend of his," Bulma said. "But you're Hercule's daughter, right? Congratulations on your success!"

"Success? _What_ success?" Videl asked. "I freaking _LOST_ the championships!"

_She sounds like Vegeta_, Bulma thought. _ Poor girl. She must be obsessed with being the best fighter, because her dad is the World Champion._

"Yeah, but you just proved that you're the strongest girl in the world," Bulma said. "I'd say that's pretty impressive."

"I never thought of it like that..." Videl said. "I guess I _am_ the strongest girl in the world."

"Of course you are!" Bulma said. "Second place isn't that bad! ...So there's no reason for you to freak out and try to attack Gohan again."

"Rrrrrr!" Videl said. She didn't appreciate that last comment. "Maybe you're right, but I still hope Dad creams him."

"Uh huh," Bulma said.

* * *

><p>In the arena, the fight between Gohan and Hercule had officially begun! It would have been exciting, except the two of them weren't actually fighting; Hercule was too busy flexing his muscles and striking poses. "Yeah, you want a piece of this? I didn't think so!" he said. "Oh YEAH! Who's the strongest fighter in the world? ME, that's who!"<p>

"Can we get started now?" Gohan asked.

"Eager to lose, huh?" Hercule asked. "Okay, fine! In fact, I'm going to be generous and give you the first punch!"

"Huh?" Gohan asked.

Hercule got down on one knee and presented the side of his face to Gohan. "It was my publicist's idea," Hercule whispered. "He thought it'd look bad if I was seen beating up a little kid on international TV."

"I'm not that little," Gohan said. "But okay, if that's what you want..."

Gohan drew back his fist and made a big show of punching Hercule. Hercule fell over and smashed into the ground.

"Ow! Hey! That wasn't _really_ supposed to hurt!" Hercule said, rubbing his cheek while getting up. "You're in for it now, Kid!"

Gohan shot forward and punched Hercule in the stomach, then he jumped backwards. The world champion's eyes bugged out, and he took a second to refill his lungs with air.

"RAWR!" Hercule shouted, diving right towards Gohan in a football-like tackle. Normally, Hercule tackled people around the waist, so he was hunched over much more than usual, due to the fact that Gohan was half his size. Gohan was easily able to jump up and bounce off of Hercule's head. Hercule smashed face-first into the ground, while Gohan did a flip in midair and landed on his feet.

The crowd cheered, and Gohan waved to them.

"Oh, it looks like Gohan is giving the Champ a run for his money!" the announcer said.

"What?" Hercule asked. "No, I'm just—I'm just playing, that's all! Ha ha ha!"

Hercule kicked Gohan. Gohan brought up his arm to block, but it almost wasn't enough. The problem wasn't that Hercule's kick was strong; the problem was that Hercule's foot was practically the same size as Gohan's arm. Hercule _does_ wear those extra-large boots, you know.

Gohan slapped Hercule's foot away, then delivered a blow, straight to the chin. Hercule responded with a two-fisted blow to the top of Gohan's head. Gohan pretended to be greatly wounded by this attack, and he fell to the ground.

"Ha! Awesome!" Hercule said. He started performing a victory dance while Gohan stood back up, then he sprang forward and hit Gohan in the stomach.

"OWIE OWIE OW!" Hercule screamed, holding his hand. Gohan's skin felt like _steel!_ No, scratch that, it felt more like _steel-coated steel, with a side helping of iron!_ Hercule's hand hurt so badly, it was even worse than that steel analogy.

Gohan and Hercule traded punches, but for the sake of Hercule's fist, Gohan dodged all of the attacks. Gohan carefully made sure to keep walking backwards, getting closer and closer to the edge of the arena, until...

"Hyah!" Hercule cried. He shoved Gohan in the chest, and Gohan fell out.

"Hercule wins by ringout!" the announcer said.

The crowd cheered.

_"I am the most awesome fighter ever!"_ Hercule cried. "You mess with the Champ, and you get messed _UP!_"

"Yes, congratulations on defeating a boy less than half your age," the announcer said. "Is there anything you'd like to say, Champ?"

"Actually, yes," Hercule said. He took the microphone and looked straight at the TV cameras. "This is a message to all the teenage boys out there in the world! If you even _think_ about making a move on my daughter, I'm gonna hurt you so bad that your _grandparents_ are gonna beg for mercy! This fight is just a preview of the PAIN you're gonna suffer!"

"Oh no," Videl said. "No no no no no no no."

"That's right! Nobody is allowed to date my daughter, unless he's strong enough to defeat me!" Hercule said. "And since I just defeated the world's strongest teenager without even breaking a sweat, the chances of one of you runts beating me are like zero times zero, over ZERO!"

_You can't divide by zero,_ Gohan immediately thought. _And besides, who'd want to date this guy's daughter, anyway? She probably has a crazy afro like him._

"Please tell me that you'll adopt me," Videl begged Bulma.

"Sorry, but I don't normally adopt girls I don't know," Bulma said.

"...I figured you wouldn't," Videl said.

* * *

><p>Gohan was hoping that the end of the fight meant he could go home, but that wasn't the case. First, he had to wait five minutes for them to bring out the trophy. Then, he had to wait <em>another<em> five minutes for the presentation ceremony. The trophy was, of course, presented by Hercule, so there were another five minutes of publicity photos before they let Gohan go.

Needless to say, Gohan was in a grumpy mood as he sought out Bulma's energy signature. She was close by the fighters area.

"Stupid Hercule," Gohan said. "Stupid money! Stupid championship!"

"Well, for someone who just won ten thousand dollars, you're in a crappy mood," Bulma said cheerfully. "No one would guess that it's your birthday."

"I can't stand that Hercule guy," Gohan said. "He's so obnoxious, and he took credit for me defeating Cell!"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Bulma said.

"I think he actually _believes_ he beat Cell!" Gohan said. "He's delusional, he's mental, and he's a pain in the—"

"You're just mad because you have to wait fifteen minutes before they let you leave," Bulma said.

"It was closer to twenty!" Gohan said. "And I'm starving!"

"You and your appetite," Bulma said. "Come on, we'll buy something with your winnings!"

"Yes!" Gohan cheered.

* * *

><p>An interesting scene occurred shortly afterwards, when Gohan found the fighters' cafeteria. Gohan was finishing off his tenth bowl of macaroni and cheese, when a certain raven-haired fighter suddenly jumped out in front of him.<p>

"Eek!" Gohan said. He fell out of his chair.

"Hi Videl," Bulma said. "What are you brings you here?"

"I want to talk to Gohan," Videl said.

"Double eek!" Gohan said, trying to hide. "I don't think I should—"

"Don't worry," Videl said. "I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?" Gohan asked, peeking out from behind his chair.

"In fact, I want to apologize," Videl said. "I didn't mean to flip out back there."

Bulma nodded at Gohan encouragingly, and the boy got up to look at Videl.

"I don't think we were properly introduced," Videl said, holding out her hand. "I'm Videl Satan."

"I'm Gohan Son," Gohan said, grabbing her hand and shaking. He smiled at this happy turn of events. Maybe he and Videl would become friends and—

That was when Videl grabbed Gohan by the collar and forcibly yanked him in, close to her. "But just for the record, I demand a rematch between us, and I promise that I _will_ defeat you."

"But...I thought you said you're not mad at me!" Gohan said.

"I'm not," Videl said. "I'm just giving you fair warning."

"That's not exactly being friendly," Bulma told Videl.

"WHAT THE—?" a voice shouted. "_Don't kiss my daughterrrrrrrrrrrr!_"

Gohan and Videl jumped. Videl turned around to see her angry father, stomping across the room towards them.

"We weren't kissing! We just had our heads close together!" Videl said.

"And with the boy who won the Junior Division, no less!" Hercule said. "I don't believe it! Videl, I know I told you that when you have a bad argument with someone, you should kiss and make up, _but I didn't mean it literally!"_

"Dad, you're crazy!" Videl said.

Hercule's face was redder than anything. "This is completely against the rules that I made! You are grounded for—!"

"Woah, woah," Bulma said, stepping in. "I saw them. They weren't kissing."

"Yeah, I don't kiss boys," Gohan said.

_"What?"_ Videl asked.

"I like girls, not boys," Gohan said, explaining his sexual orientation to them. "There's this one girl named Lime who—"

"I'm a girl, you idiot!" Videl snapped.

"She's a girl, you idiot!" Hercule echoed.

_Not good,_ Bulma thought.

Gohan was shell-shocked. "But...you have shorter hair than I do! And you kind of sound like my little brother! And—"

Bulma squeezed Gohan's shoulder, as a sign that he should stop talking because he had just dug himself into a huge hole.

"You...YOU [bad word]!" Hercule said. "How _dare_ you speak to my daughter like that? I ought to kill you where you stand!"

"I'll kill him first!" Videl said. "I'll rip off your head and—!"

"Woah, woah!" Bulma said, stepping in front of Gohan to protect him. "Please! Don't start a fight! Gohan didn't mean what he said!"

"He knew darn well what he was saying!" Hercule said.

"No, he didn't!" Bulma said. "He's been incredibly sheltered his whole life! Why, I bet that Videl is only the first teenage girl he's met."

"She's the second," Gohan said, correcting Bulma. He tried peeking around Bulma to get a good look at Videl. "I've never met a girl my own age before, though. Do they all have hair like that?"

"A likely story!" Hercule said. "Don't cover for this little twerp! He's in for the beating of a lifetime! I'll—"

"Skip it," Videl said. "He's not worth it."

Hercule looked at Videl in confusion. Normally, it was Hercule who held back his moody daughter, not the other way around.

Videl gave Gohan a suspicious glare. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," she said. "Don't make me regret it, or _you will_."

"Yeah!" Hercule said. "I defeated you in the fight today! That means you're weaker than me, so you can't date my daughter! And there are NO REMATCHES, got it?"

"Your only rematch is with me," Videl said. "And I'll _prove_ that I'm stronger than you, Shelter Boy!"

Videl and Hercule walked off. Well, in actually, Videl tried to walk off while giving off a semi-threatening aura. This attempt was foiled by the fact that her father started yelling at her about boys approximately two seconds later.

"Gosh, girls are strange," Gohan said, scratching his head.

"Maybe just _that_ girl in particular," Bulma said. "But considering who her father is, it's not surprising that she's a little weird."

"Her dad is total jerk," Gohan said. "Someone ought to teach him a lesson."

"I agree," Bulma said.

The two of them sat back down at the table, but neither one felt very hungry. They just stared at the food for a while.

"So she's really a girl?" Gohan asked.

"Of course she is," Bulma said.

He smiled. "I _thought_ she was kind of pretty for a boy," he said. "Maybe we can be friends after all."

Bulma smiled slightly. It looked like Gohan had a little crush on Videl. Sure, she was probably the absolutely worst girl for him to crush on, but it was still kind of sweet. His first crush...

"You said it's my birthday, so I can do whatever, right?" Gohan asked.

"Within reason, of course," Bulma said. "Why, what do you want?"

Bulma figured that Gohan would say something about Videl, but she was surprised by his answer.

"I want to enter the adult competition," Gohan said. "That way, I can teach that Hercule jerk a lesson."

"No way. Out of the question," Bulma said. "There's no way they'd let you enter, especially after you won the Junior Division."

"I wouldn't compete as myself," Gohan said. "I'd compete as _him_."

He pointed to three tables over, where the contestant named Mighty Mask was reading a book.

"Oh..." Bulma said.


	3. A Confrontation

"I'd like to place a bet on Mighty Mask," Bulma said.

"Hmmm..." the bookie said. He looked up the statistics on his computer. "Okay, so the odds of him winning his match are fifteen to one. The odds of him winning two matches are fifty to one, and the odds of him making it to the final round are at least a hundred to one."

"A hundred to one, huh?" Bulma asked. "I'll take it!"

Bulma slid a ten thousand dollar check towards the man. It was the same ten thousand dollars that Gohan received for winning the Junior Division. Since Gohan was still a minor, the money went to straight to Bulma, who registered him for the contest.

"If I win this, I get a million dollars," Bulma explained.

The betting man's eyes tightened as he grinned. In all his years of gambling, he had learned one lesson: whenever the magic number "million" got mentioned, people would do incredibly stupid things, such as betting on Mighty Mask to win anything other than a Stupid Costume Contest.

"You got it, lady," he said. "Ten thousand on Mighty Mask to make it to the final round. Please make sure to, heh, come back later if he loses and you want to bet again."

The bookie couldn't help but chuckle a little. This would be the easiest ten thousand dollars he ever made!

* * *

><p>Gohan was disappointed to find out that Mighty Mask was in slot #16, and Hercule was in slot #1. That meant there was no way they would fight each other in the tournament, except in the finals.<p>

That also meant that he had a lot of free time on his hands. He wandered around, trying to find something interesting to do, when he sensed Videl's energy nearby. Not thinking clearly, Gohan decided it would be a good idea to spy on Videl from a distance.

_She's kind of cute!_ Gohan thought. _Kind of. Now that I know she's a girl! She looks kind of like I did when I went to Namek..._

Videl was outside one of the walls, talking to two blond girls with long hair. Gohan's eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw them. _That one girl is even __cuter__ than she is! Woahhhhh!_

Gohan decided he _had_ to get closer. As he silently approached, he began to hear what they were saying.

"—thought I was a boy!"

"Well, I _told_ you that when you got your hair cut. Seriously, the tomboy look does _not_ work on you."

"Mind your own business, Erasa!" Videl said.

_Erasa..._ Gohan thought. _So __that's__ her name...I like it._

"Yeah," the third teenager said. "Videl looks fine with her new hairdo! Kind of, anyway.

"Bug off, Sharpener!" Videl snapped. "I've had it with boys today!"

_And the other blonde girl is Sharpener,_ Gohan thought. _Weird name for a girl._

"Well, _I _can't believe you were so mean to him," Erasa said. "He's a total hottie, and if you hadn't scared him away, I could have met—"

"HERE I AM!" Gohan yelled excitedly, jumping forward.

"AAAA!" the girl screamed, falling over.

"AAAA!" Gohan screamed.

Sharpener tried to hide behind his hair, while Videl looked shocked and angry.

"I'm! I'm sorry!" Gohan said. "I didn't mean to scare you, it's just that I overheard you talking and (wow, she's even cuter up close), and, I, I, I mean, I'm Gohan Son! What's your name?"

"I'm Erasa San," Erasa said. She lifted up her hand to Gohan, and he helped pull her up off the ground. "You, you're the hottie, I mean, guy who was in the finals against Videl, and (are those muscles for real?) it's nice to meet you and—"

"_You_," Videl said, pointing her finger right in Gohan's face. "I've had enough of you for one lifetime, Mister."

"Aw, come on!" Gohan said. "Can't you relax a little bit? I won the match fair and square!"

"I doubt it," Videl said. "I rewatched the fight, and there is _definitely_ something fishy about it. For example, you didn't even throw a single punch!"

"Um..."

"I believe him," Erasa said.

"Oh, wow...thanks!" Gohan said. _The cute girl believes me! This is great!_

"_I _don't," Videl said.

"Me neither," Sharpener said. "He's clearly not as cool as I am."

"Give Gohan a chance!" Erasa said. "I'm sure there's a great reason why he didn't try to punch you in the fight! Maybe he's a gentleman, and he doesn't like to hit girls!"

"Yeah!" Gohan said. "Also, I'm not very good at punching. I'm just good at dodging."

"Prove it," Videl challenged.

"What?"

"Punch me," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That way, I can tell how good you are at punching."

"Um..." Gohan said. That seemed like a really _bad_ idea...

"Unless you're _hiding_ something!" Videl said. "I bet you cheated in the match somehow! You used some sort of trick! You're the biggest, most despicable—"

Suddenly, punching Videl didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore.

"Okay, FINE! I'll do it!" Gohan said.

"Good," Videl grinned.

Gohan figured he would throw a weak punch at Videl, to convince her that he was just a weakling who won the match by pure luck.

...That's not how things happened though. Gohan threw one of the weakest punches he could, but the instant his fist came in contact with Videl's face, she flew backwards into Sharpener and knocked him over.

"Ow!" Sharpener cried.

"Ohmygosh, you killed her!" Erasa said, covering her mouth both hands.

"I'm not dead!" Videl said.

"I'm sorry!" Gohan said. "I didn't mean to—let me help you up."

Gohan held out his hand for Videl to grab onto, but she slapped it away. "I can stand up myself!" she said indignantly, getting up off of Sharpener.

"Oh, wow, you're going to have a really bad black eye now," Erasa said.

"What's a black eye?" Gohan asked.

"You don't know?" Erasa asked back.

Gohan shook his head. Saiyan skin was so tough that it wasn't susceptible to normal human injuries like black eyes.

"Well, just look at her eye," Erasa said. "It'll be swollen like that for at least a week."

"Fascinating," Gohan said. "Is it caused by a popped blood vessel or something? Why does it stay around the eye, instead of going down to her cheek?"

"Stop staring at my eye and get out of my face!" Videl said. She pushed Gohan away. "This proves _exactly_ what I was thinking! You're not a weakling at all! You're actually a strong fighter!"

"Uh oh!" Gohan said. Videl knew his secret! This was bad! This was terrible! This was—

"And why does that matter?" Erasa asked.

"Because...he was pretending to be weak?" Videl said.

"Yeah, but he just won the Junior Division World Championship," Erasa said. "So doesn't that make him the strongest teenager in the world, by default? It makes perfect sense for him to be strong!"

"But it was still a suspicious fight!" Videl said. She stomped her foot down, on Sharpener's back. "He probably cheated to win, because he's a weakling who...is actually good at martial arts, and...uh...shut up, Erasa!"

"I didn't say anything!" Erasa said.

"Yeah, be nice to her!" Gohan said protectively.

"Can it, Gohan!" Videl said. "Come on, Sharpener, we're leaving!" Her face was quite red as she grabbed Sharpener by the hair and dragged him away. Sharpener's high-pitched screams filled the air for quite some time.

"Sorry about that," Erasa said. "Videl's usually a nice girl, but she's been acting really weird for the past month or so."

"It's not your fault," Gohan said. "I'm sure she's just mad because she lost the champions."

"Yeah, about that..." Erasa said. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, which Gohan found totally adorable. "You're really strong, aren't you?"

"Didn't we just go over this?" Gohan said. "I'm the strongest guy in the world!" He wanted to puff out his chest and brag about this, in hopes of impressing Erasa, but he was put off by the fact that he would be acting too much like Hercule if he did so.

"It's not that," Erasa said. "I mean, just now. I could kinda sense that you were holding back when you hit Videl. Weren't you?"

"Well...yeah, but that's only because I didn't want to hurt her," Gohan said.

"If you can hurt someone that badly when you're holding back, I'd hate to see what it'd be like if you were _trying_ to hurt someone," Erasa said. "And that fight against Hercule...were you _really_ trying your hardest?"

Gohan looked into Erasa's pretty blue eyes, and somehow, he just couldn't lie to her. "No, I was holding back in that fight, too," he admitted.

"Wow..." Erasa said. "Why can't there be any cool guys like you at my school?"

"You think I'm cool?" Gohan asked.

"Sure!" Erasa said.

"I think you're pretty! Er, pretty _cool_ yourself!" Gohan said.

Erasa grabbed Gohan's arm and squeed. "Okay, we _have_ to hang out now," she said.

* * *

><p>When Gohan wandered into his meeting area with Bulma, he had a goofy grin on his face.<p>

"Gohan, you're almost late for your fight!" Bulma scolded. "Plus, we still need to get the costume from Mighty Mask!"

"She's...wonderful..." Gohan sighed.

"Oh, jeez," Bulma said. "You're late because you've been too busy chasing after Videl?"

"Videl?" Gohan asked. "You mean, Hercule's daughter? No way, she's crazy! I'm talking about...*sigh*..._Erasa_."

"Who's Erasa?" Bulma asked.

"Only the greatest girl ever!" Gohan said. "And she likes me, too!"

"That's great, but we'll have to talk about her later," Bulma said. "We don't have much time left until the fight."

"Right," Gohan said. "Let's get started."

* * *

><p>Fortunately for our heroes, Mighty Mask was in relative seclusion, reading a book. Bulma sauntered up to him in an exaggerated manner, hoping to catch his attention.<p>

"_Hello,_ Mighty Mask," Bulma said.

The costumed hero looked up from his book (Martial Arts for Dummies). "Um, hello," he said. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet, you big hunk," Bulma said seductively. "But I'm sure we'll get to know each other _very_ well, if you catch my drift."

"Not interested," Mighty Mask said, going back to his book. "I'm happily married, and besides, my fight is in a few—URK!"

Gohan hit Mighty Mask on the back of the head, while the man was distracted. Mighty Mask was instantly knocked unconscious.

"Great job distracting him!" Gohan said, while pulling off Mighty Mask's clothes and putting them on.

"He was so focused on his book, we probably didn't even _need_ to distract him," Bulma said, in hindsight. "Oh well. Need any help getting things on?"

"Nope," Gohan said. "His clothes fit me perfectly. There's just one more thing left."

Gohan powered up to Super Saiyan, then put on Mighty Mask's hood.

"Okay, I have a question," Bulma said.

"Why does he call himself 'Mighty Mask' when he wears a hood instead of a mask?" Gohan asked. "Yeah, I wondered about that, too."

"No, why did you turn Super Saiyan?" Bulma asked.

"It's so no one will recognize me if the costume gets knocked off," Gohan said. "Plus, when I beat Hercule, I want him to do it as the Golden Haired Delivery Boy from the Cell Games."

Bulma shrugged. "Hey, it's your birthday. You can do whatever you want."


	4. Round One

Vegeta was at Capsule Corp, watching Trunks. At least, that's what Vegeta was _supposed_ to be doing. In reality, he was watching his favorite soap opera.

"Clurdock, you…you make me feel uneasy," said Hoptha, the attractive female Saiyan on the show.

"What do you mean, Babe?" Clurdock asked.

"I mean, we're both Saiyan warriors," Hoptha said. "We're not allowed to fall in love with anyone, much less each other."

Clurdock stroked Hoptha's cheek. "But my love for you is so great that it can't be measured by a scouter," he said. "I'm not going to argue with it."

"Oh, Clurdock!" Hoptha said.

"No, don't believe him!" Vegeta shouted. "He's just using you to increase his power level! He's not interested in you!"

Suddenly, the TV screen turned blue. _We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin_, the text on the screen read.

"NO! NOOOOO!" Vegeta shouted. "I have to find out what happens next!"

A news anchorman appeared onscreen. "Results are coming in from the World Martial Arts Tournament," he said. "So far, it has been a complete upset. In the Junior Division, an unknown competitor named Gohan Son defeated the favored Videl Satan. In the first round of the tournament, the mighty Shamu fell to Free Willy. Former champion Hercule Satan won his match in under two minutes, and Mighty Mask defeated veteran fighter Hog-Wild Harry!"

"Gohan Son?" Vegeta asked. "Why is that brat wasting his time, fighting such weak and pathetic fighters? If he wants a _real_ challenge, he should fight me!"

Vegeta stood up suddenly. "In fact, that's a great idea!" he said. "If I enter the World Martial Arts Tournament, I can _prove_ to everyone that I'm stronger than the son of Kakarott! I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and nothing can stop me from getting the honor I—"

_We now take you back to "Fighters and Lovers on Planet Vegeta"…_ the TV screen read.

"YES!" Vegeta shouted, sitting back down to watch his show.

* * *

><p>In Hercule's private room, everyone's favorite champion was talking to his wife. It didn't matter to him that she was dead. He really needed someone to talk to.<p>

"I…I don't know what to do!" Hercule said. "Our daughter is…she's crazy! I mean, I know I've said that a thousand times, but this time, I really mean it!"

Hercule sighed. "I wanted her to win the fight today. I thought if she won, she could finally move on and get back to normal. She's changed so much it's…

"BUT! I figured that if she lost, she would be impossible to deal with! I mean, I know what it's like to lose! Not in fights, because I'm the greatest fighter in the world, but there was the one time I lost my girlfriend to some guy named Clurdock, and I think it took me like nine months to get over it! NINE MONTHS! That's how long you wait to have a baby, not how long you wait to recover from losing!"

Hercule swung his arms around in circles. "It's crazy! Crazy, I tell you! I can't wait nine months for Videl to recover! I don't even know why she wanted to win so badly! Could it…could it be _my_ fault somehow?"

Hercule almost tore out his hair. "It _is_ my fault, isn't it? It's because I'm always bragging about being the World Champion! I put too much pressure on Videl! Oh, I'm such an idiot!"

Hercule wiped away a tear. He sighed deeply and thought about leaving the room, when he remembered he was supposed to be talking to his dead wife, not ranting about random things.

"Uh, anyway," he said. "I don't know if you can hear me right now, Denaira, but I really need your help. I thought Videl would be even madder and angrier than usual, but instead, I caught her kissing the boy who beat her in the final round. And THAT doesn't make any sense at all.

"So, uh, if you could somehow help me with your angel powers or whatever it is dead people have, I'd appreciate it," Hercule said. "Because I'm really scared that I'm going to lose our daughter, and I'm also scared that she'll fall in love with that Gohan kid."

The door to Hercule's room slammed open, as Videl stomped inside. "I _hate_ that Gohan kid!" she declared.

Hercule dropped down on his knees. "OH, THANK YOU!" he cried. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

"What the—?" Videl asked, as her father grabbed her in a big bear hug.

"Your mother loves us! She still loves us, even though she's dead! This is the best news ever!" Hercule sobbed.

"Dad, have you been drinking?" Videl asked.

"Who, me? No!" Hercule said. "You know I almost never drink! Nothing ruins a celebrity's reputation faster than a night spent drinking! Plus, I have to set a good example for the kids! I always say, 'No!' to drugs and alcohol! I—"

"Okay, you can stop your motivational speech now!" Videl said. "This isn't an elementary school assembly, you know!"

"Whoops," Hercule said. "I didn't mean to slip into a speech there. I just—"

Hercule suddenly noticed that his daughter's eye was blacker than her hair. "WOAH! What the heck happened to your eye?"

"It was that creep, Gohan!" Videl said. "That's why I hate him so much! He beat me in the finals, _and_ he gave me a monster black eye!"

"I'll kill him!" Hercule said. "When I fight against him, I'll—oh, wait, I already fought him. Dang. I can't get revenge on him twice. That's just dumb."

"No, he hit me _after_ his match with you," Videl said.

"WHAT?" Hercule shouted. "Why did he hit you?"

"I…kinda asked him to," Videl admitted.

Hercule fell over. "Vi-DELLLL!" he said. "What the heck is going on with you and that kid? First you hate him, then you kiss him, then you fight with him, and—I don't know what's happening anymore!"

"I never kissed him!" Videl said. "I would never, ever kiss that jerk!"

"Good," Hercule said. "But still, I'd like you to explain the whole thing to me from the beginning. You know, bring me up to speed?"

"There's not much to say," Videl said. "I never met the kid before the final round of the tournament today, when he _somehow_ managed to beat me without trying!"

"That's impossible, though," Hercule said. "And I'm not just saying that because you're my daughter. I can't think of anyone who could beat you in a fight without putting at least a _little_ effort into it!"

"But he didn't even break a sweat!" Videl said. "He picked me up with one hand, like it was nothing! And he beat me with one hit!"

"I saw that match on the TV," Hercule said. "I think maybe your problem is that you were too angry to focus properly. It messed up your fighting abilities."

"I guess," Videl said. "Anyway, I confronted him about it, but he's just pretending that he's a weakling who got lucky. That's why I asked him to punch me."

"What? Why?" Hercule asked. "That makes zero sense!"

"It made sense at the time!" Videl said. "Look, I wanted to make sure that I lost to someone who's actually _good_ at martial arts, not some phony trick fighter like the guys at the Cell Games!"

"Hmmm…" Hercule said. Now that Videl mentioned it, Gohan talked about the Cell Games, too.

"And that's how I got the black eye," Videl said. "I guess he's not a phony fighter after all. He's just…stronger than I am."

"Okay, hold on a second," Hercule said. "The Videl I know would never say something like that. And she'd never let a punk kid give her a black eye, either!"

"Why does it matter?" Videl asked. "It's true! He's stronger than me! There's no way I can beat him! I'm just a weak, useless loser!"

"Oh, Videl…" Hercule said. He tried to hug her, but she turned away.

"Don't!" she said, sniffling loudly. "I was going to win today! I was going to do it for Mom! She wanted to see me in the tournament so badly, but now it's almost a _good_ thing she's not here, because she didn't see me lose!"

"I don't care that you lost," Hercule said. "Heck, if you lost in the first round to a three-month-old baby, I'd still be proud of you for entering and trying your best."

Hercule snuck a quick peek at his _Good Parenting_ manual, to see what he was supposed to say next. "I love you no matter what, and that's never gonna change," he said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Videl said.

"Guess, nothing!" Hercule said, throwing the manual away. "I'm totally serious! You know I'd give away the Championship Belt, if it meant you'd be happy! I love you, and even if you do something stupid like kiss that Gohan kid, I'll still be there to support you."

"Daddy…" Videl said. She turned around and hugged her father. "I love you, too."

"Awww…" Hercule said. "Welcome back, Videl."

The two of them hugged each other for a while, until Videl felt better. She got back up and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks, I needed that," Videl said.

"That's what I'm here for," Hercule said.

"And for the record, I did _not_ just call you 'Daddy'," Videl clarified. "Teenagers don't do that."

"Right, because you're my big, mature, grown-up little lady," Hercule said.

"Exactly," Videl said.

"But you're still not grown-up enough to go on dates and kiss boys," Hercule said.

"Dad! How many times do I have to tell you, _I don't have a crush on Gohan!_" Videl complained. "I hate him, remember? Because he beat me in the finals and gave me a black eye?"

"I'm just double-checking that we're both on the same page here," Hercule said.

* * *

><p><strong>In Other World<strong>

Hercule's dead wife was brought before King Yemma, by a special summons.

"Yes, King Yemma?" she asked. "What is it?"

"I've got a special message for you," the red giant said. "Your husband wants to thank you for using your angel powers to stop your daughter from falling in love."

"Uh…thanks?" Denaira asked.

"You're welcome," King Yemma said.

_Glad to hear my death hasn't changed him much…_ Denaira thought, rolling her eyes.

* * *

><p>Back at the stadium, Gohan's fight was about to begin.<p>

"You're gonna lose, Mighty Mask!" said the buck-toothed opponent. "I'm too dang good of a fighter!"

"Um, sure," Gohan asked. His opponent looked like a truck driver on steroids. In all honesty, it looked like he could defeat Gohan just by sitting on him.

"It's Mighty Mask VS Hog-Wild Harry!" the announcer shouted. "Hog-Wild Harry is a regular on the wrestling circuit, coming in at eight feet, four inches tall! Mighty Mask is a first-time fighter, whose real identity is currently unknown. This promises to be an interesting match!"

Hog-Wild Harry looked doubtful. "Say, isn't there something in the rules against me fightin' a guy half my size? I mean, I don't think he can even wrap his tiny arms around my torso!"

"You're tor-_so_ wrong about that!" Gohan said boldly.

"Fighters…fight!" the announcer said. "It's the last battle of the first round! You won't want to miss a _moment_ of this fight, everyone!"

The announcer then pulled out a magazine on cross-stitching and started reading it, instead of paying attention to the fight.

_Better make this look good…_ Gohan thought.

Gohan spent most of the fight dodging the various attacks and running away from Hog-Wild Harry. The large man quickly became worn out, and Gohan was able to lead him towards the edge of the ring. From there, it was child's play for Gohan to stick his leg out, in order to trip his opponent. Harry landed face-first, out of the ring.

"DANG NABIT!" he cried. "I lost!"

"And, of course, Hog-Wild Harry won," the announcer said, taking a drink from his smoothie. "Let's hear it for Hog-Wild—"

One of the monks whispered in the announcer's ear.

"Eh? What's this? MIGHTY MASK WON?" the announcer asked. He spit out his smoothie and stood up. "Yes, Hog-Wild has clearly landed outside of the ring! MIGHTY MASK WINS! HE GOES ON TO ROUND TWO!"

"All right!" Gohan cheered.

(He was the only one cheering for Mighty Mask, by the way.)

* * *

><p>"Okay, time for my next fight," Hercule announced. "You wanna watch?"<p>

"Sure," Videl said. "Let's go."

Hercule and Videl left Hercule's private room. As they walked towards the arena, Hercule bumped right into Mighty Mask, who was leaving the arena.

"Ow! Hey, watch where you're going!" Hercule said.

"I'm sorry!" Gohan said. "I didn't mean to…Hercule."

"Huh?" Hercule asked. "You got somethin' to say to—wait, hold on a second. Let me put on my sunglasses."

"What?" Gohan asked.

Hercule pulled out some sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's do this again."

"Oh, jeez," Videl said, rolling her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses herself, though, so you couldn't really see this.

"You got somethin' to say to me, punk?" Hercule asked. "Don't you know who I am?"

"Of course I—"

Hercule took off his sunglasses dramatically. "I'm Hercule, the World Champion of Martial Arts!"

"Not for long!" Gohan said. "I'm going to defeat you in the final round and—"

Hercule quickly put his sunglasses back on, so he could take them off dramatically again. "Heh, you got moxie, kiddo! Too bad you're probably going to lose before the finals, Flighty Fax!"

"That's Mighty Mask!" Gohan said.

"Whatever, it's still a stupid name," Videl said. "Why not fight as yourself, you coward?"

"I'm not a coward!" Gohan said. "And I can't fight as myself because—uh, I can't say."

"Ha!" Hercule said. "Keeping secrets, huh? Well that's okay with me, because the only thing _I'll_ be keeping today"—here, he pulled off his sunglasses dramatically again—"is the championship belt. See you later, Shorty!"

Hercule pocketed his sunglasses, then he marched off towards the arena. From a distance, our two teenage heroes could hear him shout, "HA ha ha ha HA! I'm here!"

"Well, that was…weird," Gohan said. "Anyway, I'd better go. See you, Videl!"

"Hold it!" Videl said. She squinted at Gohan. "How do you know my name, Mr. Mighty Mask?"

"Uh…I was watching the Junior Division fights?" Gohan guessed.

"Hmmm…" Videl said. "You seem familiar, somehow. Have we met before?"

"No, of course not!" Gohan said. "I gotta go, see ya!"

With that, Gohan ran away.

_Where do I know that guy from?_ Videl wondered. _I get the feeling I've seen him today, without a stupid costume. Hmmm…_

Videl was deep in thought for a few moments, then she shrugged and headed to the arena to see her dad fight.


	5. Round Two

Hercule planted his foot firmly on his unconscious opponent's rump, while posing for the cameras. "Oh, yeah! Round Two goes to me! HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Hercule! Hercule! Hercule!" the crowd chanted.

"Wow, Videl, your dad is so cool!" Erasa gushed.

"Almost as cool as me," Sharpener said. He tried to flex his muscles in an attempt to look impressive, but he messed up. Somehow, he ended up smashing himself in the nose with his kneecap. "OW!"

"He's not that bad," Videl admitted. She adjusted the sunglasses that she was wearing to cover up her black eye. "Although he does get _annoying_ sometimes."

"You mean like how he said you're not allowed to date anyone on national TV?" Erasa asked.

"Ooo, tough luck," Sharpener said. "Now no one's going to want to go out with you."

"Yeah, that must be a real bummer," Erasa said. "I'm glad _my_ dad never did that! Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to date—*sigh*—Gohan!"

"Ugh, I can't believe you want to date my arch-nemesis," Videl said.

"But he's _sooo_ dreamy!" Erasa said. "And besides, he can't be your arch-nemesis. You just met him today."

"I demand a rematch!" Videl said. "He won by pure luck!"

"He's a good guy!" Erasa said. "And he's modest about being strong, too!"

"The only thing _strong_ about him is his body odor!" Videl said. "I wouldn't get within ten feet of that loser!"

"I'd rather be within ten inches of him," Erasa said. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend. A guy _that_ good has to be taken already."

"I'm going to _take_ him to the cleaners, and—wait, this isn't going to become a problem for us, is it?" Videl asked.

"Of course not! I'd _never_ pick a guy over my best friend," Erasa said.

"Good," Videl said.

"So that means you can't be my best friend anymore," Erasa said. "Because I'm _totally_ going for Gohan!"

"UGH!" Videl said. Her face turned red in rage. "I'm gonna kill that [bad word]!"

* * *

><p>"No, you have to stay in the costume!" Bulma said. "Someone will figure out your secret identity if you change out of it!"<p>

"But I _have_ to see her again!" Gohan protested.

"Who _is_ this girl, anyway?" Bulma asked.

"Her name is Erasa San," Gohan said. "And she's the nicest, prettiest girl I've ever met!"

"E. Rasa San, huh?" Bulma asked. "What does the 'E' stand for?"

"Extremely beautiful," Gohan sighed.

_Oh, wow, he's got it bad,_ Bulma realized. _Well, this is all Chi-Chi's fault, for never letting Gohan go outside before! The first time he sees a girl, he falls head over heels in love!_

"You're being careful around this girl, right?" Bulma asked. "You're not going to accidentally let it slip that you're half alien or anything."

"Of course not!" Gohan said. "I'm not _that_ stupid, you know!"

Bulma sighed. "Fine. Go find her, but make sure you're back here before your match, lover boy."

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_" Gohan said, hugging Bulma. "You're the best!"

"I know," Bulma said, rubbing Gohan's hair.

The Mighty Mask costume practically flew through the air as Gohan took it off and changed back into his normal clothes. He thanked Bulma again before he ran away, tracking Erasa's energy signature.

"I guess I should call Chi-Chi and let her know that everything is okay with Gohan," Bulma decided. "She'll want to hear about this E. Rasa girl."

Bulma pulled out her cell phone and called Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi answered on the first ring.

"WHAT THE [bad word] HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY [bad words] SON, YOU BLUE-HAIRED [bad word]?" Chi-Chi screamed.

Bulma immediately hung up, then turned off her phone so Chi-Chi couldn't call back.

* * *

><p>Gohan and Erasa were in the most romantic place he could find at the World Martial Arts Tournament: the hot dog stand. Specifically, they were sitting on a bench near the hot dog salesman. Erasa's feet were firmly planted on the ground, while Gohan's short legs dangled off the bench.<p>

Their conversation went over many topics, such as Erasa's adopted parents, the time Goku won the World Martial Arts tournament, and kittens.

"So where do you go to school?" Erasa asked.

"There aren't any schools in my neighborhood," Gohan said. "I just do studying at home."

"Lucky!" Erasa said. "I wish I didn't have to go to school!"

"No, _you're_ lucky!" Gohan said. "I wish I could go to school with all the other normal kids."

"Yeah, but we start high school in September," Erasa said. She sighed. "I secretly wish I didn't have to go. I'm kind of scared."

"Why would high school be scary?" Gohan asked.

"It's new, you know?" Erasa said. "I've been going to the same school for nine years, with the same students and the same teachers. I don't want to go to a new place where all the classes are different and nobody knows me."

Gohan put his hand on Erasa's arm. He didn't know why; that was just what the people on TV did when they were trying to be consoling. "I know how you feel. That's how I felt about going here."

"Here?"

"To the World Martial Arts Tournament," Gohan said. "This is the first time I've been out in public since…well, a long time. It's not easy for me to be around a bunch of strangers like this."

"Then why did you enter the tournament?" Erasa said. "Isn't it a lot _worse_ when you're out there, in front of everyone?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to do that at first," Gohan said. "But hey, I ended up winning the Junior Division, right? So things went okay for me. I'm sure they'll be okay for you, too."

"Yeah, I guess…" Erasa said. "I know I shouldn't be worried about going to Orange Star High, but it's still kind of scary."

"I can't imagine people not liking you at your new school," Gohan said. "You're a really good person."

"Oh, Gohan, you're too nice," Erasa said. She batted her eyelashes at him.

Gohan blinked. "Um, do you have something in your eyes?" he asked.

"No, I…" Erasa said, then stopped. "I, um, I—hmmm."

_Right. He's homeschooled. How do I explain something like eyelash batting to him?_

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"Nothing!" Erasa said. "Not—I—that's what—oh…"

If Videl was there, she probably would have made a joke at Erasa suddenly becoming tongue-tied.

"Are you feeling okay?" Gohan asked

_Oh, darn it! Now he's going to think you're shy and weird and—SAY SOMETHING!_

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Erasa blurted out.

"_Whaaaa?_" Gohan asked. "Why are you—do you—?"

"NO!" Erasa said hotly. "I mean, I'm not—you don't—do you?"

"I—I—I should go!" Gohan said, standing up quickly. "Bye, Ekissa—augh!—Erasa!"

Erasa buried her face in her hands. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ she thought. "No, don't run away!" she said. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"How _did_ you mean it?" Gohan asked.

"Not like that!" Erasa said. "Not like—I mean—however it is you thought I meant it and, OHHHH! I'm such an idiot!"

Gohan cautiously sat back down, next to Erasa. "Are you…?"

"_This_ is why I won't be able to survive high school," Erasa said. "I'm just the ditzy, bubbly blonde who can't keep her big mouth shut!"

_What the heck am I supposed to say to that?_ Gohan wondered.

Erasa sniffed loudly.

"Please don't cry," Gohan said. "You don't have to cry about this."

"But I'm stupid…" Erasa said.

"But you're not!" Gohan said. "I think. Well, okay, maybe you're _kind of _stupid, but that's okay, because—I'm not very good at dealing with other people, either."

"I got that," Erasa said. "Can we…pretend that didn't happen just now?"

"Yeah, that'd probably be best," Gohan said. "What were we talking about? School?"

"Something like that," Erasa said. "Are _you_ going to high school next year?"

"No," Gohan said. "I think Mom wants to wait until I'm older before sending me to school."

"Ah," Erasa said.

There was a pause, where the two of them could hear nothing besides the shouts of the hot dog salesman.

"And no," Gohan said quietly.

"No?" Erasa asked.

"No, I haven't kissed a girl," he said, blushing furiously.

"Oh…" Erasa said. She blushed, too. "Did you, I mean, have you, I mean...I don't know what I mean."

"Me neither," Gohan said.

"But if you've never kissed a girl…" Erasa said. "Then maybe I know the perfect birthday gift for you. Close your eyes."

Gohan obeyed Erasa's command. His heart rate increased as he felt her hands on the back of his head, and—

"_There_ you idiots are!" a rude voice said.

Gohan opened his eyes and looked up. An angry Videl was standing there, glaring at him.

"Videl!" Erasa said, sounding scandalized. "We were going to—"

"Yeah, yeah, you two can make out later," Videl said. "I have to talk to you."

Videl was lying, of course. She had seen that Gohan and Erasa were about to kiss, so she decided to interrupt.

"Could you maybe come back later?" Erasa asked. _Like, in ten hours or so?_

"I need to talk _now_," Videl said. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"No, of course not!" Gohan said. "I gotta go, see ya!"

With that, Gohan ran away.

"That seemed oddly familiar…" Videl said. "Almost as if…wait, that's the same thing Mighty Mask said!"

"So…cute…" Erasa sighed. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"That's why he wears such a stupid disguise! He's hiding the fact that he's underage!"

"Who's underage?" Erasa asked. "Gohan?"

"Don't worry about it," Videl said. She cracked her knuckles. "I've got a secret identity to uncover."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Gohan," Bulma said. "You're back sooner than I expected."<p>

"Yeah, well, things went badly," Gohan said. "I think she was gonna kiss me, but Videl interrupted."

"That's Hercule's daughter, right?" Bulma asked. "The one who hates you?"

"Yeah, she's Erasa's best friend," Gohan said.

"Wait, so your girlfriend is best friends with your worst enemy?" Bulma asked. "Wow, that sounds like a plotline on Vegeta's soap opera."

"I didn't think about it like that, but yeah, I guess that's right," Gohan said. "What should I do?"

"Just don't get _too_ attached to this Erasa girl," Bulma advised. "After all, you probably aren't going to see her again after today."

"Yeah, I know," Gohan said. "Mom would never let me travel to a city two hundred miles away, just to see a girl. She barely lets me and Goten go visit you."

"That's because the last time your family visited, Goten and Trunks accidentally blew up a bus," Bulma said. "I swear, those two are barely out of their diapers, and they're already huge troublemakers."

"Yeah," Gohan said. He pulled on his mask, completing the costume. "Anyway, I should focus on the task at hand. Who is Mighty Mask fighting next?"

"Someone named Jewel," Bulma said. "I think she's a singer."

* * *

><p>Gohan faced off against the long-haired blonde fighter, Jewel. Jewel was a good fighter, even though he wasn't in it to win; he was just in it because it made him popular with the ladies. Most of the women in the audience demonstrated their love for the hunky man by shrieking loudly.<p>

"Why are all those girls screaming at you?" Gohan asked. "Do you scare them or something?"

Jewel tossed his hair haughtily. "They're screaming because I'm the most handsome man in the world," he said.

"Wait, you're a _guy?_" Gohan asked. "Not you, too!"

"What?" Jewel asked.

Gohan mentally slapped himself, for messing up yet _another_ person's gender. Including Frieza, Videl and Sharpener, this made four people whose gender Gohan had misjudged.

"Never mind," Gohan said. "Let's just fight."

Gohan ran at Jewel and jumped forward, hand stretched out to hit Jewel's jaw. The punch connected, and Jewel shrieked. "NOT THE FACE!" he said. "Anywhere but the face! If my face gets injured, my female fans will be disappointed!"

"…" Gohan said.

"Prepare to face my ultimate move!" Jewel said. "Flying dolphin hug ATTAAAAAAACK!"

"Flying dolphin—?" Gohan asked, while Jewel moved to stand right next to him. Faking a yawn, Jewel wrapped one arm around Gohan and pulled him close. It was a move Jewel had perfected after years of taking girls out on dates to the movies.

Jewel quickly went from a one-armed hug to a two-armed hug from behind, which was more of a stranglehold than a hug.

"Wow, I wish _he_ would hold me like that!" said most of the women in the audience.

"Escape from _this!_" Jewel taunted.

"And now, the powerful monster kiss attack!" Jewel said. "Guaranteed to knock your socks off! Lips, prepare for the assault!"

"AAAUAIAUOIAU!" Gohan screamed. He broke free of Jewel's grip, grabbed Jewel by the hand and threw him out of the ring. Jewel landed face first in the dirt.

"I told him not to hurt the face…" Jewel moaned.


	6. Round Three

"I can't _believe_ you ruined my first kiss," Erasa said.

"Oh, whatever," Videl said. "That's like your _third_ kiss."

"The first two don't count," Erasa said. "Sharpener was—" she shuddered. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about it."

"Me neither," Videl said. "And besides, I still don't see what the big deal about kissing is."

"That's because you've never kissed anyone," Erasa said. "When you fall in love, it—"

"Love, nothing!" Videl said. "You didn't _love_ either of those guys! And you've only known Gohan for, like, an hour! Love has nothing to do with it! You're just being a stupid horny idiot, like everyone _else_ in our class!"

"Someone's in a bad mood," Erasa said.

"Need I remind you that your _boyfriend_ beat me in the championship fight?" Videl said. "I want to see that jerk suffering, not kissing my best friend!"

"Boyfriend…" Erasa said. "That sounds good. Boyfriend Gohan…Gohie, for short."

"[Bad word]!" Videl said. "You used to be _normal!_ Now you've caught the romance bug, and you act like a hormonal pervert all the time!"

"You make it sound like it's a disease," Erasa said. "The greatest, most wonderful disease in the world!"

"That's it," Videl said, getting up and walking away. "Forget you. I'm going to fix this situation on my own."

* * *

><p>There were only two fights in the third round, so Gohan didn't have enough time to change out of his costume and meet with Erasa again. That was probably for the best, because if Videl caught him with Erasa, someone would most likely get hurt.<p>

Videl was mean enough to Gohan as it was, without provocation. That's right; she made it a point to hunt down Mighty Mask and grill him for information.

"YOU!" Videl said. "You're talking to me, _now!_"

"Who, me?" Gohan asked. "I'm…I'm sort of busy now, trying to focus on my upcoming fight, and—"

"Can it, Mighty Mask. Or should I say, _Gohan?_"

Gohan almost gasped in shock. "You must be mistaken," Gohan said. "My name isn't Gohan."

"Something tells me I'm _not_ mistaken," Videl said. "You and Gohan are about the same height and build, and you sort of look alike."

"Yeah, well, you're probably just seeing things," Gohan said. "You do have a black eye, after all. Your vision isn't the greatest right now."

"How did you know I have a black eye?" Videl asked. "No one can see it, under my sunglasses!"

She pulled off her sunglasses as evidence of this. Gohan recoiled.

Videl pointed her index finger at Gohan. "The only way you would know I have a black eye is if you were there when Gohan punched me!" she said. "So that _proves_ that you're Gohan!"

"You're ten types of wrong, Vimel!"

"My name is _Videl_," she said.

"More like Vismell," Gohan said. "As in, Vi-_smelly_, because your theory stinks! I am not some stupid black-haired kid who's painfully awkward around girls!"

_Painfully awkward around girls? Where did __that__ come from?_ Gohan wondered.

"More proof," Videl smiled. She crossed her arms. "How did you know Gohan thought I was a boy when he first met me?"

"I didn't," Gohan said. "He thought you were a girl? Wow, that's really bad."

Videl growled.

"That explains why you have pent-up aggression against him, though," Gohan said reflectively. "Just don't take that aggression out on me, okay?"

"Stop pretending you're not Gohan!" Videl shouted.

"I will, when you stop bothering me!" Gohan said.

"I will [bad word] kill you!" Videl said. She broke off into a string of shouts and curses, which slurred together to the point where Gohan couldn't tell what she was saying. Eventually, he just closed his eyes and phased out, appearing on the other side of a nearby wall.

Videl's angry yell filled the air. Gohan shook his head. There was something _really_ wrong with that girl.

"I am going to avoid her at all costs from now on," Gohan decided. "Even if that means avoiding Erasa. She's not worth the hassle."

* * *

><p>"The semifinal match will begin shortly!" the announcer said. "On one hand, we have the surprise underdog of this year's competition: Mighty Mask!"<p>

Gohan waved to the crowd, which applauded politely.

"And the other fighter is SPOPOVICH!" the announcer said.

The crowd cheered loudly, and Gohan frowned. Why did they like Spopovich more than him?

Spopovich was a giant man, with long brown hair and a black beard. His one-piece spandex outfit was about two sizes too small, which made him look stronger than he was.

_He's just another weak human_, Gohan thought. _I can beat him_.

Spopovich grinned at Gohan. "Let's do this, Dude!"

He moved quickly for such a big man, and grabbed Gohan's head in one mighty hand. Spopovich tilted his head backwards and then slammed it forwards, against Gohan's forehead, in a mighty headbutt which would have defeated a weaker opponent.

That was when Gohan and Videl's foreheads exploded.

* * *

><p>Well, okay, Gohan's forehead didn't explode, but he was filled with pain as he lay down, clutching his forehead. Suddenly, images flashed through his mind, like he was being forced to watch a torturous slideshow.<p>

First he saw the World Martial Arts Tournament. A group of people were laughing together. They looked familiar, but Gohan only recognized his mother and...was that Goku?

The next image flashed by. Some man with a turban was talking with a woman. Gohan didn't recognize either of them, but the angry look on the woman's face was...Videl?

Next, Gohan saw two boys fighting in the arena. They were clearly an older Trunks and Goten. Were these images from the future?

The next few images passed by quickly. Krillin in a fight with a large red man. Piccolo standing around, doing nothing. Turban Man getting angry. Turban Man removing his sunglasses and turban. Turban Man being...Gohan?

_What the heck is going on here?_ Gohan wondered, before seeing the final few images, of Turban Man being attacked. Large bald enemies were holding onto a weapon, partially stuck inside Turban Man, who was screaming in pain. The woman from before was shouting something, but it looked like Goku was stopping her from interfering.

Turban Man collapsed, and the bad guys flew off with their device. They gave it to...a giant bug? Then, a fat pink thing appeared. The bug and the pink thing flew off. They were beating up people. Killing civilians. Destroying cities. Eating...chocolate? What did chocolate have to do with anything?

Finally, the Z-Fighters appeared. Turban Man was there, and Gohan was pretty sure at this point that Turban Man was his future self. The future Videl was there, too.

The pink creature tore through the fighters. Dead Krillin. Dead Piccolo. Wounded Vegeta. An injured Gohan was lying on his side, blood dripping on the ground.

The next image was Videl, trying to pull Gohan back up. His face was contorted in pain. In the next image, she managed to wrap an arm around his neck, and she was pulling.

In the next image, she..._kissed_ him?

Pink Thing then fired an energy blast, killing her. Future Gohan screamed in pain. Then, he was killed, too. The pink creature smiled evilly.

_I don't understand..._ Gohan thought. _Why am I seeing these things? Why am I...?_

* * *

><p>Videl had more control over her visions. That's not to say it didn't hurt like hell.<p>

She saw a large, pale man in the World Martial Arts arena. The man had the same outfit as Spopovich, but he didn't have any hair at all. Instead, he just had a large "M" on his forehead. The man's opponent was a woman with short hair and a determined look on her face.

_That's me_, Videl realized. _When I'm older. Why...?_

Videl appeared to be winning the fight for a moment, but then the large man fought back. He was brutal to his opponent, and he beat her to a bloody pulp. Even when she couldn't fight back, he kept on pounding his large fists into his body, relishing in her pain.

Another man burst into the arena. This one had to be the Future Gohan. No one else would have such a stupid hairdo. Gohan looked furious, and he yelled at the bald attacker.

The bald man threw Videl out of the ring, where Gohan picked her up tenderly. He wrapped his arms around her and cried, before planting his lips on hers.

_No way,_ Videl thought. _No freaking way._

The crying couple kissed and kissed and cried, and everything else melted away besides for them. Soon, the two of them melted into one, and they glided away on the river of tears.

* * *

><p>Back in the real world, inside the arena, Spopovich was confused. His opponent, Mighty Mask, was rolling on the ground, clutching his forehead.<p>

"I didn't hurt him _that_ bad...did I?" Spopovich asked.

"Something looks seriously wrong with Mighty Mask!" the announcer said. "He's—"

"GAAAAA!" Gohan screamed. He grabbed his chest and ripped off the white fabric there.

"Do you need help?" Spopovich asked. "We can get a doctor if—"

"AH HAGH!" Gohan said. Still clutching his forehead, Gohan managed to sit up. _"What the hell did you do to me?"_ he demanded.

"I—"

"Take this!" Gohan said. He shot out an energy blast at his large opponent. Spopovich was sent flying backwards, out of the ring.

"Mighty Mask wins!" the announcer said. "I'm not sure how he won, or what happened there, but..."

"A doctor sounds nice right now..." Gohan said to himself. "Medic! I need—"

He collapsed on the ground, and everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Videl! Don't die!" a voiced shouted. "You're my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do without you!"<p>

"Erasa?" Videl asked. She opened her eyes to see the worried blonde girl standing over her.

"Oh, thank God! You're alive!" Erasa said.

"Yeah, I...ugh," Videl said. Her head hurt like hell. "What happened?"

"I don't know! You were watching the fight with us, and you collapsed!" Erasa said.

"Right at the same time Mighty Mask collapsed," Sharpener said. "It was weird."

"Tell me about it," Videl said. "My subconscious needs to get a life..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Videl said, tentatively getting up. "I saw some...things while I was passed out. I...I'm going to get some water, okay?"

"Should we tell your father?" Erasa asked.

"He...maybe after he wins his fight," Videl said, shaking her head, then immediately wishing she hadn't done that as pain shot through her head. "I need fresh air."

Videl stumbled outside, found a bench nearby and collapsed on it.

_What is going on?_ she wondered.

* * *

><p>Miles away, the image of Videl collapsed on the bench appeared on a TV monitor.<p>

"Good, good," said a short, yellow wizard. "It worked!"

"Master Babidi," a large red creature standing behind the yellow man said. "Are you sure this is the wisest move for us to take at this point?"

"Yes," Babidi said. "We can't raise suspicion here, so we have to recruit soldiers from this planet. The tournament is providing us with ideal fighters that we can control!"

"I mean, is it wise to manipulate the female like that?" Dabura asked. "We don't want to ruin our perfect Earth slave."

"She's emotionally unstable right now," Babidi said. "Thanks mostly to me, of course. It will make it easier to get her to join our side."

"But the visions—"

"Will only speed the process along," Babidi said. "They confuse her and give her pain. What's not to love about that?"

"And the boy?" Dabura said. "Don't tell me that you're trying to get _him_ to join us?"

"No, he's too much of a goody-goody," Babidi said. "He's even got some Pure of Heart cloud or some such nonsense. I sent him the visions just to screw with him."

"I see," Dabura said.

"Shall we be off, then?" Babidi asked. "It's time to end this."


	7. Final Round

**Author's Note: **I might have this wrong, but I think in the _DragonBall Z_ series, Babidi chose to control Spopovich, because he was a finalist in the previous world tournament. So, most likely, Babidi and crew were watching that tournament, looking for strong/easily controllable fighters.

Either that, or Babidi totally picked two people at random, one of whom just _happened_ to be a tournament finalist.

In any case, that's why Babidi and crew are watching this tournament, looking for fighters to control. Normally, they would have ignored Videl, but her anger at fighting Gohan brought her to their attention. After all, Babidi finds it rather easy to manipulate fighters who are furious because they are weak, such as Vegeta or Spopovich.

Here's the big question, though: Why did Babidi bother to control Spopovich and Yamu? Why not use one of his other, stronger fighters?

Maybe he just wanted Earthling fighters, because having aliens do his work would be majorly suspicious. Of course, nobody made a big fuss about the Z-Fighters being in the tournament, even though many of them are clearly aliens...

Another question: How long did Babidi control Spopovich and Yamu? Years? Months? Maybe only a few hours? I think it's a long time, because people were shocked by the huge change in Spopovich's appearance, and things like that don't happen overnight.

I'm going with the idea that Babidi knew he would be on Earth for a long time, searching for Buu's egg. That thing _was_ hidden so it would be impossible to find. And Babidi needed Earthlings because the search was supposed to be a stealth mission, one which the Supreme Kai and his co-workers wouldn't learn about.

So much for explanations. Back to the story!

* * *

><p>Gohan woke up suddenly. He was surprised to find that he was behind some curtains in the hospital area. His mighty mask was lying next to him.<p>

The medic monk spoke with Gohan for a few minutes about what happened.

"Normally, a sharp blow to the forehead could result in a concussion," the medic said, in complete bewilderment. "But your forehead looks perfectly fine! Only it _can't_ be fine if you were in so much pain that you fell unconscious!"

"I didn't miss my fight, did I?" Gohan asked.

"No, but you're in no condition to—"

"Gotta go," Gohan said, grabbing his mask and shoving it on his head. "See ya!"

"Nooooo!" the medic said. He chased after Gohan. "Stop!"

* * *

><p>"Sorry for the delay, everyone," the announcer said. "But safety is a major priority here at the World Tournament. Until we get more details on Mighty Mask's medical condition, we cannot go ahead with the fight."<p>

"He's probably too scared to fight me!" Hercule bragged. "After all, I _am_ the strongest man in the world!"

"Hey, this is to your advantage," the announcer said to Hercule. He had turned the microphone off at this point. "You will be well-rested, and your opponent will be coming off of an injury."

"Well, I don't want to win under _those_ conditions!" Hercule said. "I wanna win fair and square! And besides, fighting sick people is boring. Can't I fight the runner-up instead?"

"Spopovich is also in the medical ward," the announcer said. "The blast did a lot of damage to him."

"Blast, bah!" Hercule said. "That looked like a stupid light trick! You should check the arena to make sure no one has set up any tricks!"

"Fake attacks don't do _real_ damage," the announcer said. "Besides, people did attacks like those in previous tournaments. In the last tournament, Piccolo and Goku blew up the arena with—"

"Blah blah blah," Hercule said. "I saw that movie! It was just special effects!"

"That wasn't a movie! That was real life!" the announcer said. "I was _there!_"

"N-n-n-n-not a movie?" Hercule asked. "But...but how do you explain the green alien dude?"

"Didn't you meet him at the Cell Games?" the announcer asked. "You tell me!"

"Uh, well, I didn't exactly get the chance to, uh, introduce myself," Hercule said. "But I assure you, those things are just tricks or something! I'm sure there's a logical explanation for what happened."

The announcer shrugged. "You can ask his doctor when the report comes in, but I'm sticking by what I said earlier. That blast was too realistic to be fake."

"Uh, sure," Hercule said. "But doesn't it seem weird to you that nobody else can do these things, besides those Cell Games fighters?"

"Mighty Mask can do them, too," the announcer said.

"Yeah, but what if he _is _one of the Cell Games people?" Hercule asked. "Actually, that'd probably explain why he's in disguise."

"I know why he's in disguise," Videl said, from behind Hercule.

Hercule jumped. "Videl! When did you get here?"

Videl tapped her foot. "I've been here for a minute already. When the heck is this fight going to start?"

"Not for a while," the announcer said. "And I have to insist that you return to your seat, Miss Videl. Even if your father is competing, it's still against the rules for you to—"

"I'm here!" a voice shouted from across the ring. Everyone turned around to look, and they saw Mighty Mask running towards them.

"I'm not late, am I?" Gohan asked. "I didn't lose by default, right?"

"We delayed the fight," the announcer said. "Company policy."

"Great!" Gohan said. "Let's get the fight started, then!"

"We still need approval from your doctor," the announcer said.

As if on cue, the medic monk appeared, huffing and puffing like crazy.

"This man...cannot fight," he said. "He is...huff huff...too weak to...phew!...to...hey, why aren't you worn out?"

"I wasn't running fast enough to break a sweat," Gohan said. "I exercise a lot, you know."

"Uh...huff...puff...uh...scratch that. He's in good enough shape to fight," the medic said. "Much better shape than _I'm_ in, at any rate. Where can I get water?"

The announcer helped the medic leave the arena, then he flipped on the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen! That was a doctor, confirming that Mighty Mask is strong enough to fight! The Championship Battle between Hercule and Mighty Mask will begin momentarily!"

The crowd cheered.

"But before we begin, let's have a little background information about our two fighters! Mighty Mask is a new—"

"Hold it!" Videl shouted, stealing the announcer's microphone. "Mighty Mask isn't who you think he is!"

The crowd gasped.

"Uh, Miss Videl, could I have that back?" the announcer asked.

_Should I call security?_ Hercule wondered. _She's not supposed to be here, but Videl would kill me if I called the cops on her._

"In fact, he should be _disqualified!_" Videl said.

"What are you doing?" Gohan hissed at Videl.

"I'm getting my revenge on you, that's what!" Videl said. "This is for beating me in the Junior Division Championships, and for giving me a black eye!"

"Mighty Mask is really Gohan So—" Videl said, ripping the hood off of Gohan's head. "Ho haaa WHAAAAAAAAA?"

Contrary to Videl's expectations, Gohan Son was _not_ under Mighty Mask's mask. Instead, the man behind the mask was…glowing gold?

"The Gold Fighter!" Videl exclaimed. She stumbled backwards and fell out of the arena.

"That's right!" Gohan said. "I'm the Gold Fighter, from the Cell Games!"

"Oh, no freaking way!" Hercule said. "I thought you were just a pizza delivery boy!"

"The only thing I deliver is _pain!_" Gohan said.

"Ack!" Hercule said.

"I came back to defeat _you_, Hercule!" Gohan said. "You took all the credit for defeating Cell! I fought Cell for over forty minutes, but where's _my _fair share of fame? Oh, right, _you stole it!_"

"Hey, I beat Cell fair and square!" Hercule said. "And I can beat you, too!"

"PROVE IT!" Gohan shouted.

"And it looks like we're ready!" the announcer cried. "Fighters, FIGHT!"

* * *

><p>The fight between Gohan and Hercule was somewhat amusing, in a morbid sense. Gohan spent the first five minutes letting Hercule prepare all sorts of fancy attacks, and every single time, Gohan dodged at the last second, so Hercule would end up flat on his face.<p>

"You can't even hit me!" Gohan taunted.

"Yeah, well, I don't see _you_ hitting—ow!" Hercule said, as Gohan hit him with a clean uppercut.

Gohan spent the next two minutes covering Hercule with bruises. Hercule even started bleeding, in no less than four places, although one of those injuries came from him accidentally tripping over his own feet. That's when Gohan's actions become crueler.

Gohan flew about ten feet, straight up into the air. "So, you _still_ think this is just a trick?" he asked.

"People can't fly!" Hercule said. "You're just using wires, hanging from the ceiling or something!"

"There _is_ no ceiling, you idiot!" Gohan said. "We're in an outdoor arena!"

"I'm not falling for your tricks!" Hercule said.

Gohan charged up a tiny energy ball, then threw it at Hercule. It hit the World Champion clearly in the chest, and knocked the wind out of him.

"What do you say now?" Gohan asked.

"A...a light trick!" Hercule said. "That can't be real!"

Gohan grinned grimly. "Let's see how good you are at playing dodgeball..." he said.

He spent the next few minutes shooting out weak energy blasts at Hercule, forcing the large man to run all over the arena, trying to avoid getting hurt.

* * *

><p>Videl was once again being restrained by security guards. This time, the guards snapped handcuffs on her almost immediately, so they had a much easier time controlling her.<p>

If only they could control her big mouth...

"Where the [bad word] are you [bad word] taking me?" Videl demanded.

"Judges area," one of the security guards said. "Now will you shut up?"

"SHUT UP?" Videl yelled. "I'll tell you to [bad word] shut [bad word] up, you [bad word]!"

They dragged the shouting Videl through two buildings and up a flight of stairs until they reached the room where the five judges were seated, watching the fight between Mighty Mask and Hercule on various TV monitors.

"We're here," the head security guard said, unnecessarily.

"Great, now you [bad word] can undo these [bad word] handcuffs!" Videl said.

"Leave them on," said a tall man with a large mustache. "Until she can control herself, it's safer to have her restrained."

"Who the [bad word] are you?" Videl asked.

"Matthew Understaff, the head judge," Mr. Understaff said. "And we're quite worried about your behavior. This is the second time you've made a scene in the arena today."

"Bite me," Videl said.

"Your actions today have been extreme and uncalled for," Mr. Understaff said. "Therefore, it is only fair that we are revoking your title."

"My...title?"

"Second place in the Junior Divison," Mr. Understaff said. "We're taking it away for, ahem, unsportsmanlike conduct."

"You [bad word], you can't [bad word] do that!" Videl shouted.

"If you continue to curse, we will ban you from participating in future tournaments," Mr. Understaff said. "Attacking Mighty Mask before the final round is completely un—"

"I didn't _attack _him!" Videl said. "All I did was remove his mask!"

"Which is highly irregular and against the rules!"

"_He's_ against the rules!" Videl said. "He's not eighteen years old yet! He's too young for the Adult Division! If you want to penalize someone, penalize _him_, not me!"

"Do you have any proof that he's under eighteen?" Mr. Understaff asked.

"Gee, the fact that he's about two feet shorter than all his opponents is sort of a tip-off," Videl said sarcastically. "And he's the delivery _boy_, not the delivery _man_."

"He could just be short," Mr. Understaff said. "I'm afraid your claim is inadmissible."

"You—!" Videl said, but she was interrupted by the footage of the fight, on the TV screens. The fight stopped momentarily, as Hercule grabbed his wounded eye.

"You—you little punk!" Hercule said. "That's...ow! I'm bleeding!"

"That's exactly what you deSER-rrr-r-r-ve!" Gohan said, his voice cracking.

"And by 'inadmissible', I mean 'worth investigating'," Mr. Understaff said quickly. "Why did that man's voice crack like a teenager boy's?"

"Because he _is_ a teenager!" Videl said. "So he should be—"

* * *

><p>"—disqualified!" the announcer said.<p>

"What?" Gohan asked. He was holding the semi-conscious body of Hercule upside-down, dangling him over the edge of the arena.

"You're under eighteen, and you are therefore disqualified," the announcer said.

"Aw, man, how'd you find that out?" Gohan complained. "I didn't tell anyone!"

"So...you admit it," the announcer said.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Gohan said. He flung Hercule's body onto the arena. "You got me. I'm a minor."

"Mighty Mask is disqualified, before the end of the match!" the announcer said. "That means Hercule wins!"

Some people in the crowd cheered, but not too many.

"I won?" Hercule asked. He didn't have the strength to get up off of the ground quite yet. "That's...that's good."

Gohan flew towards the announcer.

"Is there anything you'd like to say about the fight, Mighty Mask?"

"Yeah," Gohan said. "I might have lost on a technicality, but it's pretty obvious who _really _won the fight today. So the next time Hercule brags about being the World Champion, I'd like you all to think about who the _real_ hero of the Cell Games is."

The crowd muttered amongst itself. It seemed that no one was sure what to make of Gohan's one-sided victory against their champion.

"Will we see you at the next tournament, Mighty Mask—er, Cell Games Delivery Boy—er, Gold Fighter—hey, what do you call yourself, anyway?"

Gohan laughed. "I'll come back when I'm old enough," he said. "You can count on it. As for my name, the Gold Fighter is fine."

"So, Mr. Gold Fighter, where have—?"

"No more questions, please," Gohan said. "It's time for me to head back home. See you at the next tournament, everyone!"

Gohan waved at the announcer, then flew off into the sky.

"Quite the exit..." the announcer said.

_Oh, by the way, you should probably check Locker Room #12. I locked the __**real**__ Mighty Mask in there awhile ago,_ Gohan said to the announcer, using his psychic powers. _He's probably mad at me by now._

* * *

><p>Bulma was giving Gohan her sternest look. "So, Mr. Dramatic, you just <em>had <em>to fly off into the sunset," she said.

Gohan shrugged. "What else was I supposed to do? Let them ask me questions, so they could figure out who I really am?"

"You could have walked away like a normal person," Bulma said. "Now, everyone's going to be talking about the mysterious flying Gold Fighter."

"That's exactly the way I want it," Gohan said. "And no one will know it was me, because we have different hair colors."

"You might not want to say that so loudly," Bulma said.

"Relax, the closest energy signal to us is at least 100 feet away," Gohan said.

"Yeah, but can't you hide your energy, or something like that?"

"That's an advanced trick," Gohan said. "Even Vegeta didn't know about it when he first landed on Earth. The odds of someone here being advanced enough in martial arts to know about energy suppression are—hmmm."

"Uh oh," Bulma said. "I know that look. What is it now?"

"Two energy signals just appeared," Gohan said. "And they're both over 50."

"So, they're older people?" Bulma asked.

"Not over 50 years, over 50...whatever unit power is measured in," Gohan said. "But even worse than that, they're evil powers."

"You can tell someone is evil, just by sensing their energy," Bulma said skeptically.

"Yeah, their energy reminds me of Frieza and his father," Gohan said. "I'm going to go check this out."

"Wait, don't just—" Bulma said, before Gohan disappeared.

"...Leave me here," she said. "Why did I agree to this stupid plan, again?"

* * *

><p>Videl was waiting in the hallway outside her father's room. In her mind, she kept stewing over all the things that happened that day which upset her, getting more and more furious until the stew boiled over into a broth of pure hatred.<p>

"Hello, Videl," a nasally voice said. She turned to the voice's owner, in order to tell him off, when she saw that he was a three-foot yellow bug thing.

"I am the Great Wizard Babidi," Babidi said. "And you are now my slave."


	8. Majin Videl

"Slave?" Videl asked. She clenched her fist. "Listen, pal, I'm nobody's—"

"Heh," said the eight foot red man, with the blue outfit. "Amusing."

"?" Babidi asked.

"Her name is Videl Satan," Dabura explained. "That name has...a special significance for my race."

"Don't interrupt me with pointless information," Babidi ordered. "As I was saying, Videl, I am now your new master! Bow before me!"

Videl said something very rude in response.

"Yes, that anger!" Babidi said. "You love that anger, don't you? It makes you feel _powerful!_"

"Join us, and you will have power beyond your wildest dreams," Dabura said.

"What are you talking about?" Videl asked.

Babidi chucked. He had been manipulating Videl's emotions all day, and now, it was time to end this little game. "I can fuel your anger," he said. "I can give you power. I am the person you've been—"

"STOP IT!" a voice shouted.

It was Gohan, of course. He was running towards them. "Videl, don't listen to those guys! They're bad news!"

_"Don't tell me what to do!"_ Videl said automatically.

"Yes, don't listen to him!" Babidi said. "Listen to _me_, listen to—"

"They've evil! I don't know what they're doing, but they're—"

"Shut him up," Babidi ordered.

"With pleasure," Dabura said. He flew forward and smashed Gohan in the head. Gohan took a few steps backwards, then counter-attacked.

"Oh, my," Babidi said. That was the first time in a while that someone had lived through a blow from Dabura.

"I don't need you to save me, Wonder Boy!" Videl yelled at Gohan. "You're such a sexist jerk! What, you think is some dumb fairy tale where—"

"Good, good," Babidi said. "Give into that anger! It will let you see things clearly for the first time!"

"I'm not—this is—augh!" Gohan said, trying to hold a conversation and fight at the same time. Dabura was the toughest opponent Gohan had faced all day. This point was forcibly made to Gohan, when Dabura threw him through the wall of the nearby building.

Gohan got out of the rubble and performed the After Image technique on Dabura. The demon must never have seen that move before, because he was completely fooled, and Gohan was able to floor him with a blow to the back of the head.

"Augh!" Babidi said. The reason he wanted to take control of Videl was so he could _avoid _situations like this. "Stop him, Dabura!"

Dabura kicked Gohan in the side, painfully. Gohan responded by punching the demon in the nose.

"Seems like you guys aren't so strong after all," Videl said.

"Okay, that's it!" Babidi said. He put his hands to his head and performed the spell he did earlier, the one that gave a person visions. Gohan had seemed particularly susceptible to that spell. _"Menchakaboola!_"

Suddenly, Gohan grabbed his forehead and collapsed, as more images painfully flashed through his mind.

Videl tensed immediately. "What's wrong with him?" she asked. "What are you doing to him?"

Dabura chucked. "Surely, _you _don't care what happens to this boy," he said.

"Now that _pest_ is out of the way, we can deal with you," Babidi said, turning to Videl. "You are a strong fighter with much potential, Videl. Join us, and we will help you become stronger. Resist us, and you'll end up...like him."

Babidi gestured to the squirming Gohan.

Videl paused for a second and thought. "If I don't like this deal, I can always back out later, right?" she asked.

"Of _course,_" Babidi lied.

"Then I'll do it," Videl said. "I'll...I'll join you. I need to have your power."

"Good..." Babidi said, pleased. "Then this will only take a second!"

Babidi stopped casting his visions spell on Gohan, so he could focus all his energy on infiltrating Videl's mind and controlling her soul. Now that Videl had agreed to the deal, her mind's natural defenses were offering no resistance and—

"No!" Gohan shouted, getting back up, with one hand clutched to his forehead. "You're—what are you doing to her? That's not..."

Videl was lifted up into the air, about a foot. A blue glow surrounded her and her pupils suddenly disappeared. Her mouth was wide open, almost as if she was screaming for her life, but no sound came from her throat.

It was over in seconds. Videl's mouth closed, and the blue glow dissipated as she landed back on the ground. She fell to her knees, and looked up.

A large letter "M" was written on her forehead.

"That...can't be good," Gohan said.

Babidi cackled evilly. "She's mine! That was _too_ easy! I have the most powerful human on Earth, under my control!"

"Turn her back, now!" Gohan said.

"Time to test out my new toy!" Babidi said. "Videl, I order you to kill this 'Pure of Heart' wretch _now!_"

"With pleasure," Videl said. Her voice had changed, slightly. It was scratchier now. "Only..."

"Only _what?_" Babidi asked, irritated.

"A hallway is a bad place for a fight," Videl said. "I want more room to kill my arch-nemesis."

_Kill__?_ Gohan thought. _She meant __defeat__...right?_

"Oh, _that's_ easy," Babidi said. "_Parrapapa!_"

Suddenly, the four fighters disappeared and reappeared in the World Martial Arts Tournament arena, where Hercule was receiving his trophy.

"Videl?" Hercule asked. "What are you—GERK!"

Majin Videl grabbed her father by the throat. "Get out of here, now, or I will kill you," she said.

"Gack! Augh!" Hercule choked. "Why...It...Is that a tattoo, young lady? You're asking for a grounding!"

"Please, miss," the announcer said, stepping towards the group. "If you could—"

"Get back!" Gohan shouted. "That's not Videl!"

"It's not?" the announcer asked.

Majin Videl threw Hercule at the announcer, and both of them tumbled over each other until they fell outside of the ring.

Majin Videl turned her head and grinned at Gohan. "I told you our battle wasn't over!" she said. "That earlier fight was just a warm-up!"

"You're pretty confident for a girl who lost in one hit," Gohan said.

Majin Videl scowled. "This time, there won't be any of this 'victory by ringout' garbage! It's a fight to the death, got it?"

"Give it up," Gohan said. "You don't stand a chance against me. You don't know how to fly or use energy techniques or—"

Majin Videl powered up, and Gohan bit his lip as he sensed her power level skyrocketing.

_Or maybe she does... _he thought.

* * *

><p>"Master Babidi," Dabura said. "Are you sure this is wise?"<p>

Babidi shrugged. "We need all the energy we can get, and this boy is full of it. Why not let our new servant beat the energy out of him?"

"But we haven't found Majin Buu's egg yet," Dabura said. "The plan was to use the Earth girl to find the—"

"Don't question me, Dabura!" Babidi ordered. He used his magic to send intense pain to Dabura's forehead—one of the advantages of having his "M" marked on the demon's forehead. "The egg is somewhere on this planet. I am sure of it! Any energy we gather to open the egg will not go to waste!"

* * *

><p>Videl charged at Gohan, her fist outstretched. Gohan dodged to the left, but Videl's foot suddenly came out of nowhere, and he tripped over it, landing face-first on the ground.<p>

Videl quickly changed directions and tackled the falling Gohan, delivering blows to his back. She aimed for the bottom of his back, hoping to hit his kidneys or some other sensitive organ, but his skin was too tough.

Gohan flipped over, grabbing Videl's hands. For a brief second, Gohan looked into her eyes, then he brought his knee into her stomach. He then pushed/threw her aside and sprang up to his feet.

"We don't have to fight," Gohan said. "I don't _care_ which one of us is stronger. You know that!"

"Coward," Majin Videl said. "And cowards DIE!"

She charged at him again, and this time, he counter-attacked by charging her. Gohan's punch connected first, and he followed it up with six more punches. Videl managed to block half of them, and she countered one.

_There's no point in trying to reason with her,_ Gohan decided. _She was hard enough to deal with, even __before__ this weirdo put some sort of spell on her._

Gohan charged up an energy blast and threw it at Videl. She flew backwards, which surprised both him and her.

"What the—?" Majin Videl asked. "How—?"

_Again!_ Gohan thought. He shot more energy blasts at Videl. They all hit her and did damage, except for the last one, which she dodged by falling to the ground.

"Ha!" Gohan said. "You don't have any experience in manipulating energy! You don't know how to—"

"RAAAUGH!" Majin Videl yelled. She charged Gohan and tried to beat her name into his chest with her fists. Gohan simply flew upwards and backwards, out of her reach.

"I'll just defeat you with energy blasts, from the safety of the sky, just like I did with—hey, where'd she go?" Gohan asked, looking around. Videl wasn't anywhere in the arena, as far as he could see.

A sudden pressure in his foot caused Gohan to look down. Videl was hanging from his left leg, and she was trying to rip Gohan's ankle out of its socket.

"Get off! Get off!" Gohan said, shaking his leg. Majin Videl maintained a firm grip, until Gohan brought his right leg forward and kicked her directly in the face.

What happened afterwards was a scene that haunted Gohan in his nightmares. Videl's face, now with two black eyes, looked up at him with a mixture of shock and fury, as she plummeted back down to Earth. She tilted backwards as she fell, and she landed on her head. The sickening sound of Videl's neck breaking seemed unnaturally loud to Gohan's ears.

"No!" Gohan cried. "I—she—!"

Suddenly, Gohan became aware of all the other people in the stadium.

"You killed my daughter!" Hercule shouted from the sidelines. "I'm gonna kill you, punk!"

"This is bad, this is bad, this is bad," the announcer kept saying over and over and over.

Bulma pulled out her cell phone. "We need help, quick!" she said to herself.

The people watching from the stands—who thought that this fight was somehow still part of the tournament—fell silent.

"That's not...?" Sharpener gasped.

"I...I have to do something!" Erasa said. "I have to get down there and help somehow!"

"No way!" Sharpener said. "He's just going to kill you, too!"

"I'm...a murderer?" Gohan asked himself. He landed back down on the ground, and he walked over to Videl's corpse. "I didn't mean to—that doesn't matter."

As Gohan stood over Videl's dead body, noting that he skin was unusually pale, he thought he saw her half-open eyelids move slightly. "Wha—?" he said, but he didn't have enough time to say anything else, before Majin Videl drove her leg directly into his groin.

Gohan collapsed immediately, as Majin Videl stood up and calmly snapped her broken neck back into place.

"Brilliant!" Babidi said. "Our new fighter is a genius!"

"I don't think I approve of people who hit below the belt," Dabura said.

"Oh, shut up!" Babidi said. "I knew I should have come here alone! All you've done is complain the whole time!"

"Hey, Crotchety!" Majin Videl yelled.

"That's BABIDI!" Babidi snapped. "What do you want?"

"How do I do those energy attack things?" she asked.

"Like THIS!" Dabura said. He charged up a large energy attack, and he threw it at Gohan. He put in about three times the recommended amount of energy into the attack, but this didn't particularly bother him, as the attack connected and Gohan's body went flying, over sixty feet away.

"Hmmm..." Majin Videl said, thinking.

"And the red man hits our Junior Division Champion out of the ring!" the announcer said. "Is there anyone strong enough to fight these undead, M-headed bandits? If only—"

"HAAAA!" Videl shouted. Imitating Dabura, she charged up an energy blast and threw it at the stands. She unknowingly put too much energy into the technique, and the explosion was much larger than necessary. About thirty seats were destroyed, six people were killed, and fifteen were seriously injured.

"Take _that!_" Majin Videl shouted. "I'm unstoppable now! I can kill you all!"

"Very _good_, Majin Videl!" Babidi said, jumping up and down with joy. "Show them that you're the strongest fighter in the world now!"


	9. More Fighting

Most of fighters from the World Tournament were still at the arena. After all, the awards ceremony was supposed to take place during this time, and that meant trophies for everyone. In fact, only two of the fighters weren't there: Gohan/Mighty Mask, and the fighter who lost in the first fight of the first round (he didn't feel like waiting two hours to get his trophy).

Currently, all the fighters were in a group, outside the fighters' area. It was starting to look like they would have to step in.

"We have to stop her!" Carobi said. "She's insane!"

"You!" Jewel said, grabbing Hercule's shirt. "You saved the planet before, right? Save it again!"

"I can't kill someone who looks just like my daughter!" Hercule said. "I refuse to fight her!"

The fighters all shouted different things in response.

"But those maniacs could take over the world!"

"They're killers!"

"I want my mommy!"

"Woah, STOP!" Hercule said. "Everybody calm down, okay?"

The thirteen scared fighters stopped talking, and they looked at Hercule. Hercule puffed out his chest and began a speech.

"Listen, I know things look dangerous right now, but we can't just sit back and do nothing! We are the world's heroes! Everyone is counting on us to stop these dangerous fighters and save the day!" Hercule said.

"But I'm scared..." one of the fighters said.

"Okay, so maybe these fighters are scary," Hercule said. "That's just because they're willing to kill people. But don't forget, we all competed in the World's Martial Arts Tournament today! That means _we are the greatest fighters the world has ever seen!_ We are the World's A-Fighters!"

"A-Fighters!" the fighters cheered.

"I say we all attack at once!" Hercule said. "That way, these villains won't be able to fight back, and we can save the world! Now who's with me?"

The A-Fighters cheered wildly, as they ran to the stage and all tackled Majin Videl. She only managed to punch one of her attackers before the other twelve landed on top of her.

Hercule smirked. "If this fighting thing doesn't work out, I should become a motivational speaker, man," he said to himself.

* * *

><p>Gohan was lying on the ground outside the arena, moaning softly.<p>

"Gohan?" a voice asked.

Gohan managed to open up his eyes to see Erasa's concerned face.

"Hey," Gohan said. "You...you should...ugh..."

Gohan's head fell back, and he closed his eyes again.

"Don't die!" Erasa said.

"I'm not...dead," Gohan said. "But I feel like I got hit with a triple-powered Manseko."

"I don't know what that means, but you have to get up!" Erasa said. "You have to stop Devil Videl!"

"How?" Gohan asked. "She's too strong!"

"But you're the strongest teenager in the world!" Erasa said. "She's only the second strongest!"

"But...I haven't been training," Gohan said. "Ever since the Cell Games, I've been slacking off and—"

"You can do it," Erasa said. "You have the power."

"I need a senzu bean, not a speech," Gohan said. (Erasa isn't as good at motivational speeches as Hercule is, obviously.)

"I don't know what that means either, but if you don't help save Videl, I'll never talk to you again," Erasa said.

"Ugh..." Gohan said.

"Maybe I can help," a voice said. Gohan's eyes shot open, and he saw...Dende?

"Eek!" Erasa said. "An alien!"

Dende put his hands on Gohan's chest and used his healing powers, while Erasa had a minor freakout session over seeing a green man with antennae.

"I came here as soon as I saw what was happening," Dende said. "I don't know who these bad guys are, but I can sense that they're using dark magic."

"Yeah, we figured that out," Gohan said, getting back up and stretching his arms. "I think the small one is the leader. He's the one who bosses the other two around."

"Um, excuse me!" Erasa said. "There's an _alien_ here! Why are you acting like everything is okay?"

"That's because I know this alien," Gohan said. "His name is Dende. He's the Guardian of Earth. Dende, this is Erasa."

"Hello!" Dende said. "Pleased to meet you, Erasa."

"...This is officially the weirdest day ever," Erasa said.

"Please tell me you have some sort of plan," Gohan said. "I'm not sure how to fight these guys. Or who they are."

"I don't know who they are, either," Dende said. "And since physical attacks don't seem to stop them, I think your best bet is to blow them up."

"You can't blow them up!" Erasa said. "You have to save Videl!"

"She's evil now!" Gohan said.

"My best friend is still in there, somewhere, and you have to save her!" Erasa said. "That's how it _always_ works in the movies! You just have to say the right thing, and she goes back to normal!"

"This isn't a movie, Erasa!" Gohan said.

"There _might_ be a way to get Videl back to normal," Dende said. "You can get the yellow guy to undo the spell he put on her."

"Sounds good to me!" Erasa said.

"Sounds _bad_ to me!" Gohan said. "How on Earth could we convince him to do something like _that?_"

"Alternately, you could kill the yellow guy, and hope that when he dies, his magic dies with him," Dende said.

"That's also impossible," Gohan said. "At least, when he's using Videl and the red guy as bodyguards."

Dende shrugged. "That's all I can think of. I sent Piccolo out to find the dragonballs, so if anything goes really wrong, we can undo the damage."

Gohan smiled a bit, picturing how Piccolo probably reacted to being turned into a dragonball-fetcher. "Then I guess it's back to Plan A: fight my way through this," Gohan said.

"You can do this, Gohan!" Erasa said. "You're the best fighter I know! Just make sure not to hurt Videl too much, okay?"

"Right," Gohan said. "Time for Round Two."

"You're going to win!" Erasa said. "Those bad guys don't stand a chance!"

Gohan gave Erasa a thumbs-up, then he ran back towards the stadium.

"Okay, let's go," Erasa said, grabbing Dende's hand.

"Woah, what?" Dende asked. "Go where?"

"We're getting as far away from here as possible, so if Gohan loses, we'll be safe," Erasa said.

"Wha—but you just said that you know Gohan can win the fight!"

"I only said that because he's a potential boyfriend," Erasa said. "Now let's get out of here before Devil Videl blows up the stadium! Come on!"

* * *

><p>Majin Videl was busy plowing through the thirteen champion fighters. Hercule couldn't help but feel a little glimmer of pride, even though it meant that the world was doomed.<p>

"See, my daughter is strong enough to fight in the Adult Division!" Hercule said. "Never mind the fact that she's only thirteen!"

One of the fighters crawled over to Hercule, because he was too injured to stand up. "Hercule, you have to save us!"

"But I can't fight my daughter!" Hercule said.

"You're the strongest man in the world," the fighter said. "Don't you always say that you're stronger than all of us combined?"

"Well, yeah, that's true, but—" Hercule said.

"_Videl!_" Gohan shouted, running back into the arena. "Where are you?"

Videl jumped over two fighters to land near Gohan. "I'm right here, you [bad word]," she said. "And that's Majin Videl now."

"Aw, gee, what a shame," Hercule said. "I was _totally_ going to fight her now, but this guy beat me to it! Darn."

"Margin Videl," Gohan said. "That's a weird name. Did you pick it because you win by the slimmest of margins?"

"That's _Majin_ Videl, not Margin Videl!" Majin Videl said. "You'll pay for that insult!"

"But...I don't even know what a majin is!" Gohan said.

Videl ran at Gohan. He was distracted for a second by the fact that her skin was _definitely_ looking a little grayer now, and so she was able to kick him in the chest.

"Ufff," Gohan said. He grabbed her leg and threw her straight up into the air, ten feet.

Gohan was pretty sure he couldn't "save" Videl, and if what happened earlier was any indication, it was impossible to kill her. But he could still knock her unconscious, right?

_Please let me be right,_ Gohan thought, as he jumped up and did a double-fisted punch onto the falling Videl, so she would smash into the ground even harder. The crater that was created was about six inches deep into the tiled floor.

Majin Videl's right arm started shaking, until she put her palm on the ground and pushed herself back up.

"You can't—UGH!" she said, as Gohan quickly landed, with his foot planted firmly in her face. She fell backwards on the ground again, but this time, she got up more quickly.

"You're a [bad word] [bad word], Gohan!" Majin Videl said. "And stay away from Erasa!"

She feinted with her right hand to distract him, while she smashed her left hand against the side of his head. Half a second later, her right hand smashed the other side of his head.

"Oh, hey, that's the Hercule double-smash!" Hercule said. "I taught her that move, you know."

Gohan headbutted Videl, and he followed up with karate chops to the neck. Gohan's mother always said that the best way to knock someone out was with a karate chop to the neck, but Chi-Chi apparently never had to knock a wizard's slave unconscious before.

Majin Videl smashed Gohan's forearm with her fist, then she twisted his arm around. He twisted his body around with it, and she kneed him in the back. Undaunted, Gohan flipped backwards, over Videl's body and drew his fist back to attack her, only to find that she had turned around quickly enough to counterattack.

Gohan quickly increased his power level, then resumed attacking. Videl was put back on the defensive.

"Something is wrong," Dabura said. "The Earth boy is much stronger than he was before."

"So he was holding back before, big deal," Babidi said. "Majin Videl can defeat him."

"No, he _is_ much stronger now!" Dabura said, stepping forward suddenly. "I don't know how, but I sense that he has undergone a massive power increase since his last fight!"

"You mean..._ten minutes ago?_" Babidi asked sarcastically. "You're imagining things."

Neither Babidi nor Dabura knew that Saiyans get a large power boost, after recovering from serious injuries. Dende's recent healing had made Gohan all the more unstoppable.

"He is _not_ a normal fighter," Dabura said. "I request that you let me take over the fight."

"Videl can handle this weakling," Babidi said. "So what if he's fighting harder than before? She still has the upper hand."

"She is new to using energy techniques, and this boy clearly is not," Dabura said. "We need a more experienced fighter here."

"Oh, very well, if you insist," Babidi said. "Majin Videl! Stand down! Let Dabura fight this battle!"

"No," Majin Videl said. "_I'm_ going to kill Gohan! You hear me, Gohan? YOU WILL DIE!"

"How _dare_ you defy orders?" Babidi asked. "You insolent brat! Take this!"

Babidi put his hands to his forehead and cast a magic spell to hurt Videl, through her "M" tattoo. She collapsed and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"That's what happens when you disobey me, slave!" Babidi said. "Now you _will_ let Dabura handle this fight, okay?"

"But Master Babi—AAAAAA!" Videl screamed.

_"Okay?"_ Babidi demanded.

"Yes...master..." Videl said. "I'll just...go now."

Majin Videl meekly walked towards Babidi and took her place at his side, while Dabura stepped forward.

_Hey, that yellow guy just hurt Videl!_ Hercule realized. _And he's bossing her around! What a jerk!_

"You," Gohan said. "What are you doing here?"

"I am your next opponent," Dabura said. "Prepare to die."

"Oh no," Gohan said, before Dabura flew forward and punched him. The two of them started fighting in earnest, appearing and reappearing all over the arena and the sky, trying to hit each other.

"Finally, a _real_ opponent," Dabura said. "Too bad you're still not a challenge."

"Grrrr..." Gohan grunted. If this went on much longer, he'd have to go Super Saiyan to win the fight, and he didn't exactly want to turn Super Saiyan with video cameras all around.

"You see, Videl?" Babidi said. "Dabura is doing a much better job of fighting than you."

"Yes, Master," Videl said, dully.

"Let this be a lesson to never question my orders," Babidi said. "Next time, I won't be so lenient."

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted at Babidi.

It was Hercule, striking one of his fiercest poses. The World Champion was mad, and he was full of confidence in his ability to win a fight, now that the really big and scary guy was gone.

"You...you did this!" Hercule said. "You made my daughter into that...that thing!"

"Ah, Hercule," Babidi said. "The man rumored to be the strongest man on the planet. Care to increase your strength even more?"

"I...I..." Hercule stammered.

Babidi snickered. No one could resist the allure of his power! Not even—

Hercule punched Babidi in the face. "Make her normal again, _now!_" he said.

"Majin Videl, save me!" Babidi said.

"You can't stop the World's Strongest—woah—augh!" Hercule said. He accidentally slipped and fell down, landing on top of Babidi.

"Die!" Majin Videl said. She brought her fist back to smash the skull of her master's attacker, then hesitated. "...Dad?"

"Dirty, stinking, little, whiny, yellow!" Hercule said, punching Babidi. With each word, he landed a blow on the short wizard. "Turn her back, now!"

"Dad, why are you—? No, leave!" Videl said. "I don't want to—!"

"KILL HIM NOW!" Babidi ordered.

One hand went to Videl's forehead, remembering Babidi's recent attack on her. The other hand stretched forward, towards Babidi and Hercule. An energy ball soon appeared in the palm of Videl's hand.

"Are you crazy?" Babidi asked. "You can't use one of those attacks, not while he's so close to me! Dabura!"

Dabura heard his name and glanced to the side. He quickly held up his hand, as a sign to halt.

"It seems my master needs me," Dabura said. "We shall put this battle on hold for now."

Dabura flew towards Babidi, but Gohan appeared in the way. "No," Gohan said. "If your master gets hurt, so much the better. We end this battle now."

"As you wish," Dabura said.

With some regret at not being able to finish the battle, Dabura cleared his throat and then spit directly in Gohan's face. Gohan wiped it away, and by the time he noticed his hand felt weird, his nose had turned to stone.

"Huh?" Gohan asked, just as his mouth and brain solidified. Shortly afterwards, there was nothing left but a stone statue of a confused-looking Gohan.


	10. Piccolo's Battle

"For those of you just tuning in, welcome to the World Martial Arts Tournament," the announcer said calmly. "It's about 2:35 PM, the weather is sunny, _and crazy alien monsters are going to kill us all! SOMEBODY HELP US!_"

The announcer cleared his throat and continued. "Shortly after the conclusion of the tournament, three rogue fighters appeared. First is a yellow ant-like creature, with a massive head, tiny body, and a cape for no apparent reason. We have been able to confirm that he is the leader of the group, and his name is Babbety. He claims to be a wizard, bent on world domination."

Video footage of Babidi played onscreen, for the benefit of all the home viewers.

"Second, we have a large red creature who looks like a demon on steroids. We are unsure if he is related to the Demon King Piccolo, who appeared at a previous World Martial Arts Tournament. This creature seems to be called The Burra. He seems to be the strongest fighter in the group."

A picture of Dabura appeared onscreen.

"The third member of the group seems to be none other than Videl Satan, daughter of the World Champion Hercule Satan. She won second place in the Junior Division today, but this is _not_ the Videl we know from this morning. Her skin has changed color, her eyes are bruised, and there is a large 'M' on her forehead. She demands to be called Mah-Jongg Videl."

Two videos played side-by-side. One showed Videl, fighting in the tournament that morning. The other showed Majin Videl.

"No one has been able to account for this dramatic change in Videl's appearance and personality, in just a few hours. Some people have suggested that she was brainwashed, and some say that the wizard has cast an evil spell on her. Still other people believe that the demon is somehow possessing her. In any case, all we know for sure is that she bears little resemblance to her former self, and she is now highly dangerous."

The announcer shifted his grip on the microphone.

"These three monsters have fought and defeated all of the Earth's best fighters," he said. "All of the contestants in today's World Martial Arts Tournament stepped up to fight, including the winner of the Junior Division Championships, Gohan Son. The only fighters who have yet to fight are Mighty Mask, who has not been seen since his disqualification, Jumping Jeffrey, who left immediately after losing in the first two minutes of the tournament, and the World Champion, Hercule Satan.

"Everyone can remember two years ago, when the World Champion Hercule saved us all by defeating the evil monster Cell. But can he save the world again? After all, one of the monsters this time...is his own daughter! He—what?"

The announcer almost fell over, and he continued his commentary as the camera zoomed to the other side of the arena, where Hercule was running towards Babidi and Majin Videl. "It seems that our champion has made up his mind! He's going to confront these villains after all! He—oh, he's attacking Babbety! The little yellow creature is too weak to fight back!

"No, it seems that he's getting Mah-Jongg Videl to fight _for _him! I'd like to remind everyone that Babbety _is _the leader of the group, and so far, he has forced the other two to do all the fighting for him.

"But not this time, it seems! Mah-Jongg Videl seems hesitant to attack her own father! It looked like she was going to attack for a moment there, but now she's backing off! Meanwhile, Hercule continues to attack relentlessly! Perhaps he will actually defeat the evil wizard! Yes, if this keeps up, Hercule will surely—"

The announcer gasped as a large man entered into frame. "It's the other fighter, The Burra!"

* * *

><p>Dabura lost little time in forcibly picking up Hercule by the scruff on the neck.<p>

"Hey! Put me down!" Hercule said, flinging his arms and legs around. "I need to beat up that overgrown cockroach for turning my daughter evil!"

"Kill him, Majin Videl!" Babidi ordered.

"I...I..." Majin Videl said, shaking her head. Suddenly, her voice broke, and she seemed to revert to her normal personality for a moment. "I can't do it! He's my dad! I can't hurt him!"

"WHAT?" Babidi shouted.

"That's it!" Videl said. "You said I could back out of the deal at any time, right? Well, I'm backing out now! Take your stupid powers back!"

Babidi held back a scream, then he started chuckling. "As you wish, Videl. You'll see what I do to traitors!"

Babidi started chanting a magic spell. Suddenly, Videl's head swelled and her body stretched out. It felt like her head was a ball of silly putty, and Babidi was playing around with it for a while, before he threw it away.

The blood rushed out of Videl's head, as all her air was cut off. Dabura smirked, amused at seeing her drawn-out death. It never crossed Dabura's mind that Babidi's habit of killing his employees made him a very unsafe person to work for.

That was when a healthy-sized energy blast came out of nowhere and hit Babidi. The wizard was thrown backwards into the side of the arena.

"There's more where that came from," Piccolo said.

Dabura turned around to face the lean, green, fighting machine. "You realize that now I have to kill you, of course," he said.

"Funny. I was going to say that," Piccolo said. "What did you do to Gohan?"

"Him?" Dabura said, angling his head towards that statue of Gohan.

Piccolo nodded.

"I turned him into stone," Dabura said. "Now he gets to spend the rest of his life as a statue. Isn't that nice?"

"And of course, you refuse to turn him back to normal," Piccolo said.

Dabura grinned. There's no way to reverse the process, except by killing me."

Piccolo smirked. "Good, that's just what I was planning on doing," he said.

* * *

><p>Fortunately for Videl, once Babidi was hit by Piccolo's attack, the spell on her was cut off.<p>

She collapsed on the ground immediately. Hercule looked around to make sure no one was watching before he picked her up and ran away.

Specifically, Hercule took her to the Champion's room, where he splashed a glass of water on her head, to wake her up.

"Hey!" Videl said. "What did you—?"

"Hold still," Hercule said. Taking a washcloth, her rubbed her forehead roughly.

"Ow!" Videl said.

"It won't come off!" Hercule said. "Don't tell me that tattoo is _real?_"

"I don't have a tattoo. Don't be stupid," Videl said.

Hercule dragged Videl over to the mirror. "Oh, yeah? Look at yourself!"

Videl stared at her reflection in horror. The "M" on her forehead stood out strongly against her pale gray skin, and her bulging muscles made it look like she was on steroids.

"What happened to me?" Videl asked.

"You are grounded until the end of time for this, you hear me?" Hercule said. "As for your evil friends, you are never allowed to see them again! I want—"

"This isn't my fault!" Videl said. "I let the wizard guy cast some kind of spell on me, and he—"

"You let a complete stranger do weird things to you?" Hercule asked. "Especially a stranger who looks...like _that?_"

"I...I wasn't thinking clearly!" Videl said. "I was too angry about losing, and I wanted power and strength and..."

Videl's eyes glazed over, which scared Hercule. "Videl?"

_"You're not the strongest fighter in the world!"_ Majin Videl said. "You're not even _close!_ You're a pathetic weakling!"

"You can't talk to your father that way!" Hercule said.

Majin Videl slapped Hercule into the nearest wall. "You didn't defeat Cell, did you? You've been lying to everyone all these years! _You're a liar and a loser and a weakling, and that's why I hate you!"_

In retrospect, Hercule would admit that it was not the smartest idea to try to reason with the evil version of his daughter. After all, many teenagers have pent-up aggression against their parents.

* * *

><p>Piccolo knew that he could not win the fight against Dabura. Perhaps if Piccolo went all-out, he could have won, but in Piccolo's mind, the fight was just a delaying tactic.<p>

Piccolo had no less than three plans on how to defeat the villains, and all three of them involved stretching out the fight as long as possible. Hence the fact that Piccolo was deliberately delaying the fight with weak attacks, exaggerated reactions to everything, and extensive dialogue.

Dabura, however, did not seem interested in dialoguing.

"Silence!" Dabura said. "Enough talking! Start fighting!"

"Yes, shut him up already!" Babidi said. "Make him pay for injuring me!"

"I just want to know how the Stone Spit—" Piccolo said.

"Here's how it works!" Dabura said. He disappeared and reappeared behind Piccolo, hitting the green man from behind. As Piccolo turned around, Dabura drew up some spit and let it fly at Piccolo's left arm.

"Oh, good shot, Dabura!" Babidi said, jumping up and down. Babidi always thought fights were exciting, especially when he wasn't in danger of being hurt.

Moving quickly, Piccolo ripped off his left arm and threw it at Dabura. The missile almost hit its target, except Dabura reached out and grabbed it from midair.

"Nice try," Dabura said. "But you'll have to throw faster than that to hit me."

Dabura smirked, then suddenly realized his mistake. He was holding Piccolo's arm, which was still slowly turning to stone. The concrete crawled from Piccolo's arm to Dabura's fingers and...

Dabura gasped as his hand turned to concrete. Piccolo gave a shout of joy, when Dabura's eyes flashed. Suddenly, the stone arm turned back to normal.

"A clever trick, but one doomed to failure," Dabura said. "You think you can use my own techniques against me? I can undo the stone enchantment whenever I want."

_Darn it! I should have thrown it at his head!_ Piccolo thought.

"And how exactly do you 'undo the stone enchantment'?" Piccolo asked.

"Still hoping to save your friend, I see," Dabura said. "You should be more worried about yourself. With one arm, you can no longer win this fight."

"Yeah, well, I've still got a trick or two up my sleeve," Piccolo said.

"What sleeves? Your arm is missing!" Babidi said. "Kill him NOW!"

Dabura charged, and Piccolo had to quickly dodge. Piccolo wasn't used to one-armed fighting, obviously, and he was hoping to use the "reveal that I'm wearing weighted clothing" trick to buy him a minute or two so he could regenerate his arm. No such luck, obviously.

Dabura's attacks were decisive. Piccolo could almost feel his ribs crack after the second punch, and soon the Namekian was on the ground.

"Fine..." Piccolo said. "You win."

"Excuse me?" Dabura asked.

Piccolo struggled back up to his feet. "You're too strong for me," he said. "There's no way I'm going to win this battle."

"Glad to see you've accepted the inevitable!" Babidi said.

"I've got one last technique to use!" Piccolo shouted, putting his fingers to his forehead. "Special Beam Can—"

An energy blast hit Piccolo from behind. The Namekian, caught off guard, seemed to fade into nothingness as the blast hit him.

Majin Videl lowered her hand. "I think I'm getting the hang of these energy attacks," she said.

"Oh, wow! What an attack!" Babidi said. "She obliterated every bit of him! I don't see anything left!"

"Yes..." Dabura said. He noticed that Piccolo's arm seemed to have disappeared when Piccolo did. "Most curious."

Majin Videl jumped onto the arena floor. "I apologize for what happened earlier, Master Babidi. I had some...issues to work out with my father."

"And those issues have been resolved?" Babidi asked.

"Let's just say...my father will no longer be a problem," Majin Videl said.

Babidi snickered, fondly recalling the memory of his own father's death. Babidi hated the Supreme Kai, but he had to admit that the Supreme Kai did him a favor by killing Bibidi. Bibidi was a cruel creature, and Babidi was glad that he was gone for good.

"Good," Babidi said. "Videl! Dabura! Come now! Our work here is done!"

"What next, Master Babidi?" Dabura asked.

"Next, we return to the spaceship and plot out next move," Babidi said. "We still have to tell our new recruit about Majin Buu, after all."

Majin Videl frowned. "I wanted to kill Gohan," she said. "Now he's just a dumb old statue, so I can't fight him. That's so unfair!"

Dabura grinned. "I can turn him back to normal, if you'd like," he suggested.

"Yes!" Videl said. "He hurt my eyes, and it's time he—"

"Enough!" Babidi said. "We've wasted enough time here as it is. As far as I'm concerned, you've _both _managed to defeat the brat. Now let's go."

"Awww..." Videl said.

And that was when, for the second time that day, a healthy-sized energy blast appeared from out of nowhere and hit Babidi. The wizard was thrown headfirst into the arena wall again.

"WHO THE [bad word] DID THAT?" Babidi yelled.

"That would be me," a cocky voice said.

Babidi—and almost everyone else in the arena—looked up. Twenty feet in the air, a man with flame-shaped hair was hovering, an evil smirk on his face.

"Who—who are you?"

"My name is Vegeta," Vegeta said. "And I am the man who is going to kill you."


	11. Vegeta's Battle

"It's about freaking time he got here!" Bulma complained to no one in particular. "I called him ages ago!"

Vegeta had arrived at the World Martial Arts Tournament much earlier. Being a smart warrior, Vegeta decided not to make a public appearance until _after_ the fight between Piccolo and Dabura was over. That way, Vegeta would have the tactical advantage of knowing his enemy's techniques ahead of time.

It was unfortunate that Piccolo didn't know this, because he was only fighting to buy more time until Vegeta appeared.

Vegeta frowned at his completely undaunted opponents. You'd think they could at least give him the courtesy of _pretending_ to be scared that the strongest fighter in the universe as going to kill them, but no. They were acting like the Saiyan Prince's appearance was no big deal.

"Another weakling opponent," Dabura said. "He looks like he spends more time in the hair salon than in the training room."

"Yes, his hair does look ridiculous," Babidi said. "He's clearly not a worthwhile fighter."

"Wait a second!" someone yelled.

Everyone turned to see Hercule stumble into the area. He looked rather beat-up, but considering that he just got thrown into a wall, this is understandable.

_Oh, great, just the idiot I wanted to see_, Vegeta thought.

"It's the World Champ, Hercule!" the announcer said. "Is he finally ready to fight?"

"You—you were at the Cell Games!" Hercule said, pointing a finger at Vegeta. "I remember you!"

"That's right," Vegeta said. He was slightly glad that _somebody _finally recognized him, even if it was the biggest moron on the planet. "It looks like you're not completely useless after all."

"Useless?" Hercule said. "Hey, buddy, I'll have you know that I'm the World Champion of Martial Arts!"

"HA!" Vegeta laughed. "You're a pathetic little weakling compared to me! _I am the man who killed Cell!_"

A huge gasp went through the entire arena, as the spectators who were still there tried to process this information.

"You..._you're_ the one who-?" Hercule said. "I mean, no! _I_ killed Cell! Ha ha ha ha! I'm the strongest fighter ever!"

Vegeta shot out an energy blast at Hercule's head. Hercule was hit and fell over backwards.

"Hercule, is this true?" the announcer asked. "Did this tall-haired maniac really defeat Cell?"

"Mommy, my head hurts," Hercule said.

"I think that's a yes, everyone," the announcer said. "Cut us through to the news stations! This info is huge!"

_About time that idiot was exposed,_ Vegeta thought to himself. _The nerve of him, lying to everyone and pretending he killed Cell! Stupid weakling!_

The irony that Vegeta was _also_ lying to everyone by pretending to kill Cell completely escaped the Saiyan Prince.

"We should leave," Dabura advised Babidi. "There's nothing left for us here."

"Nothing left? Are you nuts?" Majin Videl asked. "Big Hair is clearly itching for a fight here! Let me kill him!"

"Hmmm..." Babidi thought. "We've wasted enough time here as it is. Dabura, you're stronger, so just kill him as quickly as possible, and we'll go."

"As you wish," Dabura said. He bowed politely, then took to the skies to meet with Vegeta.

"Do you know what it feels like to have 200 pounds of steel come crashing down on your head?" Vegeta asked.

"No," Dabura said.

"Well, you're about to find out," Vegeta said. His mighty fist then came crashing down on Dabura's head.

Dabura went flying downwards, but he was able to turn around in midair and fire an energy blast at Vegeta. Vegeta easily dodged while flying quickly towards Dabura and hitting him in the stomach. Before Dabura could react, Vegeta hit him in the nose as well.

"Sorry to have to damage your sensitive skin," Vegeta said, grinning.

"Rrrrrrgh," Dabura said. "What are you talking about? My skin isn't sensitive!"

"Sure it is," Vegeta said. "Why, you've got the worst sunburn I've ever seen! You're red all over...or are you just furious that you've finally met a superior fighter?"

"My species always looks like this!" Dabura snapped, taking Vegeta's bait.

"Oh, really?" Vegeta asked. "Then tell me, what color blood does your species have? Surely it's not red, like your skin."

"Hmmmph," Dabura said. "I don't see how my blood color is any of your business."

"Well, then, if you won't tell me, then I guess I'll have to find out for myself," Vegeta said. He charged at Dabura and unleashed a series of powerful blows, which went unchallenged until Dabura launched a counter-offensive.

"Oh, wow! Look at the two of them go!" the announcer said. "The tall-haired fighter and the Burra are great opponents!"

"Hey, I could do that!" Hercule said. "In fact, if _I _was fighting, I probably would have beaten this guy by now."

"But Hercule, you already tried to fight these enemies, and you didn't win," the announcer said.

"I got in a few good punches on that short guy," Hercule said. "I _would_ have won, if that evil teenager didn't interfere."

"I understand now," the announcer said. "You ran away from the fight because the evil teenager was too strong for you to beat."

"What? Heck no!" Hercule said. "I could defeat the teenager, that short guy _and_ that red guy, all by myself! I'm the World Champion! Weren't you paying attention when I won the Championship Belt today?"

The announcer pursed his lips. "If that's _true_, then why haven't you defeated these villains already?"

"Well, I...I'm going to defeat them!" Hercule said. "Right now! You just wait and see!"

Hercule marched off proudly, and it took approximately two seconds for him to realize that he was making a horrible mistake.

"Big news, everyone!" the announcer shouted. "The World Champion Hercule Satan—who was recently accused of lying about his victory in the Cell Games—has finally decided to join the fight today!"

"I _did_ beat Cell," Hercule muttered to himself. "Kind of. Way more than that big-haired freak did, anyway."

Hercule's proud march slowed to a crawl, as the forlorn champion dragged his feet towards the area with Majin Videl and Babidi. "What if...what if all this stuff is real?" Hercule asked himself. "What if these people really _can _fly and shoot lasers out of their hands? What if they _are_ super-powered alien fighters? I don't stand a chance!"

Hercule shook his head. "No, that's crazy talk! These are all just a bunch of tricks! People can't fly! This has to be some kind of illusion!"

"I am the best fighter ever!" Hercule said, continuing his pep talk. "I don't rely on stupid tricks to win a match! I rely on my strength and skill, and my huge amounts of experience! With these things, I! Will! Win!"

An imaginary crowd inside Hercule's head started applauding. The real crowd wasn't paying any attention to Hercule; they were too busy watching the fight between Vegeta and Dabura.

"Hey, you! Short stuff!" Hercule shouted at Babidi.

"Oh, great, it's the loudmouthed one again," Babidi said. "I thought you said you took care of him, Videl!"

"I did," Majin Videl said. "But Dad's an idiot. It takes him a long time to learn a lesson!"

Videl charged at her father. He dodged underneath her arm and pushed her aside. "I don't want to fight you," he said. "I want to fight Lollipop Tree!"

"My name is Babidi," Babidi said.

"Not Lolli Tree?" Hercule asked. "Whatever, I don't care what your name is! Just know that you're in for a world of pain! I'm not scared of your tricks!"

"And I'm not scared of your dumb face," Babidi said. Babidi flung both his arms in front of him. "Barrier!"

Suddenly, Babidi was encased inside a purple sphere of energy. "See this? This protective barrier will shield me from all energy attacks!"

"I have no idea what those are," Hercule said. He punched the purple energy sphere, to no avail.

"Owie! Owie! Owie!" Hercule said, holding his bruised knuckles.

"Physical attacks, too!" Babidi said. "Now that I am invincible to your attacks, I can attack _you_, whenever I want!"

Hercule poked his finger at the purple sphere. By gently sliding his finger forward, he managed to get it to go in about half an inch.

"Wow, this stuff is so weird," Hercule said.

"Hey!" Babidi said, pointing his finger at Hercule. "Are you listening to me? I'm threatening to kill you!"

"Woah, what?" Hercule said, startled. He slipped on the ground and fell flat on his face. Hercule's arm instinctively shot forward, into the energy barrier, trying to prevent the fall. The best he could do, though, was grab onto Babidi's arm and pull the short wizard down with him.

"Let go of me, you idiot!" Babidi shouted, struggling to get loose. "Videl, kill him!"

Hercule pushed himself off of the ground with his left hand, and yanked his other arm backwards. A sickening snapping sound was heard, as Hercule literally ripped Babidi's arm out of its socket.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Babidi screamed.

It took Hercule a second of looking at the arm in his hand, before he realized what he'd done. "AAA!" Hercule screamed, dropping the tiny arm on the ground. "I didn't mean to do that! It's just, your arm is so brittle and tiny and—no, wait, I _did_ mean to do that! HA HA HA! That's what you get for messing with the World Champion!"

"[Bad word] you [bad word] [bad word]!" Babidi said.

"Dad, you can't do that!" Majin Videl said. "I mean...not Dad...dead! Right, you're dead to me! Not Dad to me! You're...argh!"

Videl grabbed the M on her forehead, and she started shaking her head very violently.

"Looks like she's not as far under your control as you'd like," Hercule said, smirking. For the first time in the past hour, it looked like he was honestly going to win, all thanks to a lucky stumble! "Time to pay for your crimes, you mass murderer!"

Hercule grabbed Babidi's other arm and squeezed, so he could hold the villain in place while punching him. By merely squeezing it, though, Hercule was able to break the single small bone, running through Babidi's skinny arm. (Hundreds of years of flying instead of walking had made Babidi's arms and legs very weak, not that his species had particularly strong arms and legs to begin with.)

"[Bad word]!" Babidi shouted. "GET OFF ME! PARAPAPA!"

Hercule barely had time to look confused before Babidi's magic spell sent him to a far-off planet.

"You're [bad word] dead, Videl!" Babidi said. _"Why didn't you kill him instantly?"_

"But...Dad...I...AUGH!" Majin Videl said, clutching her forehead and bursting into tears.

"I don't have time to listen to you blubber!" Babidi said. "Hurry up and help me!"

"Yes, master," Majin Videl said, shaking her head. She reached down and picked up the small wizard, cradling him in her arms like some kind of mutant baby. "What now?"

"We need to get to the healing tank on my ship," Babidi said. "Get me there quickly, and I _may_ not kill you."

"What's a healing tank?" Majin Videl asked.

"How do you not know that, you useless idiot?" Babidi snapped. "You're as stupid as your father!"

"Rrrrrrrrr..." Majin Videl grunted angrily.

"Listen to me when I talk to you, Slave!" Babidi said, mentally reasserting control over Majin Videl by tapping into her anger. "You—!"

"ARGH!" Majin Videl shouted. Her rage blazed suddenly, and energy balls appeared in her hands. Since she was holding Babidi in her arms at the time, this ended up being a fatal blow to the wizard.

"Gah," was the last thing Babidi said, before dying from the hole that Majin Videl blew in his head.

Videl dropped Babid's corpse on the ground, and she collapsed on top of it.

"MASTER!" Dabura shouted.

"Oh look, the yellow bug is dead," Vegeta said. "And the girl looks like she's been beaten, too. It's a shame, because I was _really_ looking forward to killing them myself."

"You..._you will pay for this!"_ Dabura shouted. "If I hadn't been fighting you, I could have saved him!"

Dabura shot forward at full speed, and a part of him recognized the fact that he was much slower than before. That was because being under Babidi's control gave him a large power boost, and now that Babidi was dead, the power boost was gone. Unfortunately for Dabura, he completely ignored this large warning sign that he would soon lose.

Vegeta was able to effortless hit Dabura aside. He disappeared and reappeared behind Dabura, hitting him from behind, then hitting him from the side. As a finishing move, Vegeta smashed him downwards.

Dabura sucked up a bit of saliva, and he spit at Vegeta. Vegeta shot an energy blast, which not only destroyed the spit but also hit Dabura in the chest.

"Did you _really_ think I'd fall for that?" Vegeta asked.

Dabura growled. He didn't have _time_ to fight now. He needed to get to Babidi's body—Dabura hoped Babidi was just unconscious due to bad injuries, not dead—and Vegeta was getting in the way. Dabura quickly decided to just go all out and blow Vegeta to kingdom come. It would be a messy waste of energy, but there weren't any other good options to end the fight quickly.

"Take THIS!" Dabura shouted. He fired a large energy blast, similar to a Kamehameha, except weaker, and threw it at Vegeta. Unlike the Kamehameha, Dabura put more energy into the attack _after_ releasing it, instead of putting his energy into charging the attack.

The attack flew upwards and to the right, directly at Vegeta. Vegeta could have dodged it, but since he sensed it was a weak attack, he decided to overpower it. He responded with a large energy blast of his own. The two blasts met in midair for a second, until Vegeta's blast engulfed Dabura's and moved straight towards the demon king.

"NO!" Dabura shouted, desperately trying to pump all his energy into the attack, but it was too late. Vegeta's blast pushed Dabura downwards, smashing a huge hole into the floor of the arena. Dabura screamed as his body disintegrated into nothingness.

"Oh, no, they broke another arena floor," the announcer said. "Do these fighters know how much it costs to replace that thing?"

Dabura's death so captured everyone's attention that no one seemed to notice or care about the stone statue of Gohan. The impact of the blast hitting the arena sent the statue flying into the air. The statue turned around slightly and smashed on the ground, breaking into pieces.

Thankfully, the statue turned back into Gohan before it was completely destroyed, but enough damage was done. Gohan's left arm was completely gone, except for a disgusting-looking piece of reddish skin that hung there, uselessly. The stone remains of his arm lay shattered on the ground.

"Heuh...ow," Gohan said. "Whea?"


	12. Shenron Summoned

Once again, Gohan found himself inside the first aid area. The staff there was completely overwhelmed, with all the fighters and innocent spectators who suffered injuries at the hands of Babidi and crew. Gohan was simply put into a room with a lot of beds and told to lie down until a doctor could come by.

"This has basically been the worst birthday ever," Gohan complained. "I knew I should have stayed home instead of joining this tournament."

"Hey, it wasn't..._all_ bad," Bulma said, trying to cheer Gohan up. "You got to meet a nice girl, right? And you won two million dollars!"

"I lost my arm!" Gohan said. "There's no way I can—two million dollars?"

"I used your prize money from the Junior Division to bet on Mighty Mask," Bulma said. "And besides, we can use the dragonballs to bring your arm back."

"If they still work, now that Piccolo's dead," Gohan said glumly. "Is there anyone _else_ who died while I was a statue?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not as dead as you think," a gruff voice said.

Gohan looked up from the makeshift hospital bed. A familiar large green man was in the doorway, smiling at him.

"Piccolo! You're alive!" Gohan said.

"Hey, kid," Piccolo said. "You don't look so good."

"What? But—I saw you get killed!" Bulma said. "Everyone did! Even Vegeta said—"

"Nah, that was just one of my forms that got destroyed," Piccolo said.

"What?" Bulma asked.

"I used the Multi-Form Technique, so searching for the dragonballs would go faster," Piccolo said. "You know, instead of me finding all the balls separately, I had four of me finding the balls at the same time."

"But wouldn't you need four dragon radars that way?" Bulma asked.

"I used to be Guardian of Earth," Piccolo said. "I don't need a radar to find dragonballs. Anyway, one of the balls was close to the tournament, so I decided to check in on you. Good thing I did, too. If I didn't, a lot more people would have died."

"Well...thanks for all your help, I guess," Gohan said. "Too bad I wasn't around to see any of it."

"It's probably a good thing you didn't see it," Piccolo said. "It wasn't my best fight."

Piccolo left it at that.

"So...why are you here?" Gohan asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Piccolo asked. "I got all the dragonballs, so Dende can summon the dragon now."

"Right!" Gohan said, suddenly excited. "Dende was here at the tournament! We can get our wishes right away! Let's go!"

Gohan hopped out of the hospital bed, in defiance of what the attendant recommended. Unfortunately for our one-armed hero, the attendant in question re-entered the room with an injured girl.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed!" the attendant snapped. "Lie down until the doctor comes!"

"But I have somewhere to go," Gohan said.

"No exceptions," the attendant said.

"Please, it's important," Gohan begged.

"No exceptions!" the attendant said. "Now lie down or else I'll give you a sedative."

Bulma gave Gohan a look that clearly said _We'll sneak out when the attendant leaves. _Gohan begrudgingly got back into his bed, and the attendant turned his attention back to the injured girl. "Lie down here, and wait for the doctor to arrive," he said. "You can't leave until the doctor says it's okay. After that, I'm told that you go right back into police custody."

_Police custody?_ Gohan wondered. _Who is this...oh._

The injured girl was no one other than Videl Satan. Now that she was no longer Majin Videl, she seemed a lot smaller.

"Oh, great, it's you," Gohan said. "The girl who tried to kill me. Twice. Or was it three times? I've lost count."

"I'm...sorry?" Videl asked.

"That is the worst apology I've ever heard," Bulma commented.

"No fighting in the hospital area," the attendant said in a bored voice. "And Officer Meekins is waiting for you in the hallway, Videl, so don't even think about trying to escape."

"Yes, sir," Videl sighed.

"You look really pale," the attendant said. "I suggest drinking some water, then going straight to sleep." The attendant then nodded and left.

"She does look paler than she did this morning," Bulma said to Gohan.

_All humans look pale,_ Piccolo thought to himself.

Videl got a drink of water from the sink in the room, then turned to Gohan. "So...you're Gohan, right?"

"Don't pretend you don't remember me!" Gohan said. "You've been talking to me all day!"

"I...I don't remember much," Videl said. "It's like...my mind was put under an evil spell all day, and I just now woke up from it."

"Hmph," Gohan said. The fact that Videl was telling the truth didn't mean Gohan still couldn't hold a grudge against her.

"My head still hurts, though," Videl said. "It feels like a third of my brain is missing."

"Gee, it feels like my _entire arm _is missing," Gohan said sarcastically. "And it's all your fault, too. So you'll understand when I don't accept your apology."

"Look, I said I was sorry!" Videl said, getting snappy. "At least you're still alive, unlike my dad!"

"Huh?" Bulma asked.

"Well, then, that's _one_ thing Bobby Z did right," Gohan said. "Hercule is the most annoying, stupid—"

"I killed my own father!" Videl said, her voice almost ripping in half. "Are you happy now? He's gone because of me, and I can barely remember it! Both my parents are dead because of me! So _excuse me_ if I have bigger problems to deal with than your crybaby attitude!"

"What, I should feel _sorry_ for you because you're a serial killer?" Gohan asked. "You killed my best friend, and you almost killed me! And news flash, you're—"

"Okay,TIME OUT!" Bulma said. "You two are no longer allowed to speak to each other, okay? Gohan, we're leaving now."

"Good riddance," Videl said.

Gohan made a rude gesture towards Videl and left the room. Piccolo grunted and followed after him.

"Videl..." Bulma began. "I don't think your father..."

"What?" Videl asked.

"Nothing," Bulma said. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Later. Right. Do I know you?" Videl asked.

"Hm," Bulma said. Maybe Videl's memory _was_ messed up. "We sat together during Gohan's fight with Hercule today. Anyway, just get some rest. I'll be back soon."

"If I'm not in jail by then," Videl muttered to herself.

* * *

><p>Piccolo lead Gohan to a nearby courtyard. The seven dragonballs were grouped together in a small pile, out in the open where anyone could steal them.<p>

"What the? Where did Dende sneak off to?" Piccolo asked. "I told him to wait here with the dragonballs!"

"Dende left?" Gohan asked.

_First he forces me to play dragonball finder, then he abandons his post,_ Piccolo thought. _I'm going to have to have a talk with Dende about being a proper Guardian._

"Do you have any idea where he went?" Piccolo asked.

Gohan closed his eyes. "I can sense his energy, not far from here. Let's go."

"Right," Piccolo said. He gathered the dragonballs in his arm.

Gohan and Piccolo went after Dende's energy signal, which was about thirty feet away. Dende was on a bench near a hot dog vendor. Gohan recognized it as the same area he visited earlier, when he had a conversation with Erasa.

Something was different this time. And by "something", I mean that Dende and Erasa were kissing each other like love-struck teenagers.

"Oh, no [bad word] [bad word]!" Gohan shouted. "Erasa! What are you _doing?_"

Erasa caught sight of Gohan and blushed. "Oh, hello, Gohan," she said. "Meet Dende! He's my new boyfriend!"

"Uh...hi," Dende said.

"I know who Dende is!" Gohan said. "I was the one who introduced him to you!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that," Erasa said. "Thanks for that! Dende is _sooo_ great!"

"Ah, shucks!" Dende said. "You're great, too, Sugar Plum."

"I don't _believe_ this!" Gohan said. "You two together? How...how did this happen?"

"Well, the two of us started talking after you were killed by the red guy, and we really connected, you know?" Erasa said. "We bonded over your death and—wait a second. How are you still alive? You _died!_"

"I didn't die!" Gohan said. "I just lost my arm...and two of my best friends, apparently!"

"Oh..." Erasa said. "...I'm a horrible person, aren't I? I'm sorry, Gohan."

Gohan grimaced. After a few seconds, he decided to forget Erasa...for the time being. There were more important matters at hand.

"Whatever," Gohan said. "Let's just use the dragonballs. Where's Bulma?"

"I'm coming!" Bulma called. She came running up, to join the other people. "Don't leave me behind like that again!" she said. "I had to look everywhere for you!"

"Pssst!" Erasa said. "What's a dragonball?"

"Oh, you'll like this," Dende said. "It's one of my cool alien powers."

Piccolo, who had dropped the dragonball on the ground, put his hands over the dragonballs and began speaking. "O great dragon, I summon you by your name! SHENRON!"

"Hey, you're stealing my thunder!" Dende complained.

The sky around the entire planet went dark. Thunderclouds came from out of nowhere, and the mighty Shenron appeared in the sky.

"AAAAAAA!" Erasa screamed. She fainted immediately.

"Erasa! Babe!" Dende said.

"I am Shenron, the eternal dragon," Shenron said in his deep voice. "Tell me your wish, and I will grant it."

"We wish to bring all the people who died at the tournament today back to life!" Gohan said.

"Not everyone!" Bulma said. "What about the bad guys?"

"Oh, yeah, but not the evil ones," Gohan said. "Only bring the good people back to life."

"Bring back the good people who died at the tournament today," Shenron said. "It is within my power to grant this wish."

"Excellent!" Bulma said.

"Wait a second!" Gohan said. "I know you're not supposed to bring the bad people back to life, but...I _guess_ you should bring Hercule back to life, too. Even though he's a liar and a phony."

"You want Hercule alive again?" Piccolo asked. "Why would you want that?"

"It's not for me," Gohan said. "It's for Videl. You all saw how depressed she was about her father's death."

"Since when do _you_ care about Videl's feelings?" Bulma asked.

"I...I don't, okay?" Gohan said. "I'm just trying to be nice, that's all! Besides, Hercule _did_ try to save the world today...kind of. He deserves a second chance."

"If you say so," Bulma said, shrugging. She didn't think Hercule made that much of a difference in the battle, but helping Hercule was the sort of thing Goku would have done.

"You heard all that, right?" Piccolo shouted. "Bring back all the good people who died at the tournament today, including Hercule!"

"I cannot grant this wish," Shenron said.

"What?" everyone asked at the same time.

"I didn't make any mistakes when I made that dragon, did I?" Dende wondered.

"Why not?" Piccolo shouted at Shenron.

"Hercule Satan cannot be brought back to life," Shenron said. "He is not dead. He is on Frieza Planet 285."

"Frieza Planet 285!" Dende said. "That's the planet with horrible monsters on it! ...Or was that Frieza Planet 295? I forget."

"So...Videl _didn't_ kill her father!" Gohan said.

"I _thought_ so!" Bulma said. "I saw her kill Babidi, but I didn't see her kill Hercule."

"I grow weary of this discussion," Shenron said, sounding annoyed. Shenron was never known for his patience when it came to wishes. "Tell me what your first wish is, or I will go away."

"Just bring back all the people who died at the tournament today, except Babidi and Dabura," Piccolo said. "Simple enough?"

Shenron's eyes glowed red. "It is done," he said. "What is your second wish?"

"Bring Hercule back here to Planet Earth!" Gohan said.

"Aren't you going to wish for your arm back?" Bulma asked.

"That'll be the third wish," Gohan said.

"Yeah, it's just like what we did on Namek!" Dende said. "The first wish brought Piccolo back to life, and the second wish brought him to Namek!"

"Uh...sure, just like that," Gohan said. He wasn't sure why Dende made that connection, but it didn't really matter.

"There's a slight problem with that," Dende said.

"Another problem?" Bulma asked. "What is it this time?"

"The dragon will only grant two wishes," Dende said.

"Woah, WHAT?" Gohan asked. "Dende, you said you fixed the dragonballs so they grant three wishes, like on Namek!"

"I said I was _trying_ to fix the dragonballs," Dende said. "I didn't say I actually did it."

"Okay, then, forget that—"

"Your wish is granted," Shenron said. "I now leave you."

"NO WAY!" Gohan shouted.

But it was too late. The dragonballs turned blank and scattered all over the earth, as Shenron disappeared and the sky turned back to normal.

"...That could have gone better," Dende said.

Gohan turned and looked at Dende. Gohan's face was furious. "You THINK?" Gohan shouted.

"Uh oh," Dende said.

"Now I have to wait a YEAR before I get my arm back?" Gohan shouted at Dende.

"Look at it this way," Dende said. "Future Gohan lost his arm, too, so now the two of you are like twins...kinda..."

Gohan's hair flipped up and turned yellow, as he turned Super Saiyan 2. Pure energy crackled in the air around him.

"[Bad word]," Dende said. He tried to hide behind Piccolo. "Piccolo, help me!" Dende cried.

Piccolo sighed. "Gohan, you _do_ realize that if you kill Dende, the dragonballs won't work anymore."

"..." Gohan said.

"Yeah, that's right!" Dende said. "No one can make another dragon, besides me!"

"Piccolo can make another dragon," Gohan said slowly. "He was Guardian of Earth before."

"Oh, um...uh...crud," Dende said.

"I'm trying to decide whether to kill you now, or just rip off your arm," Gohan said, sounding slightly like Vegeta. "That way, you can feel the pain I'm going through now. What do you think?"

"That's it, I quit!" Dende said.

"What? You can't quit!" Piccolo said.

"Sure I can!" Dende said. "I don't want to be the Guardian of Earth anymore! It's too hazardous to my health! Piccolo, you're the guardian again! So Gohan, if you have any complaints about the dragonballs, go to _him_, not me!"

"That's not going to work, Dende!" Gohan said, taking slow steps towards Dende. "First you steal my kind of girlfriend, then you waste time during our wish so I lose my arm! You're going to pay for this!"

"No, wait, that works perfectly!" Bulma said.

"Huh?" Gohan asked. He stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"The Guardian of Earth can only create one set of dragonballs per year, right?" Bulma said. "If we switch guardians, that should reset the time limit! Piccolo could make a new set of dragonballs right away, and we can still wish your arm back today!"

"...Does it work like that?" Gohan asked.

"...I don't know," Piccolo said. "But it can't hurt to try, I guess."

"Fine," Gohan said. "Dende, you get to live. For now."

Dende threw himself at Bulma's feet and hugged them. "You saved my life! Thank you! Thank you! _Thank you!_"

"You can thank me _after_ you collect all of the dragonballs," Bulma said.

"What? I've never collected dragonballs before," Dende said. "I don't know where to start."

Gohan charged up an energy ball.

"AUGH! I mean, I'll get those dragonballs right away, sir!" Dende said, saluting Gohan. "In fact, I'll start looking for them now!"


	13. Going Back Home

Piccolo left to go to Kami's Lookout, in order to make another dragon. Dende was looking for the dragonballs, even though there really wasn't any point in looking for them, because Piccolo hadn't made the dragon yet.

"Well, now that all the excitement is over, I think I'll go talk to Videl," Bulma said.

"Why would you want to talk to _her?_" Gohan asked. "As far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is pretty much her fault."

Bulma shrugged. "_Someone_ has to tell her about what happened today," Bulma said. "I don't think she remembers anything. Besides, she should know that her father is back."

"Oh, right," Gohan said. He was so upset over the wish fiasco that he almost forgot they used the second wish to bring Hercule back from Frieza Planet #285. "Where _is_ Hercule, anyway?"

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in Russia...<em>

"Does anybody here speak English?" Hercule shouted. "Anybody! Please! I'm freezing, and I want to get home!"

"Who is that strange man with the even stranger hairdo?" a young boy asked (in Russian, of course).

"Just ignore him," the boy's mother said. "I'm sure if we leave him alone, eventually he'll get bored and walk away."

* * *

><p><em>Twenty minutes later...<em>

Gohan was meditating, the way Piccolo taught him. Gohan didn't _need_ to meditate, but he wanted an excuse to empty his mind and not have to think about what happened that day.

"Gohan? Are you okay?" a voice asked, breaking through his layers of consciousness.

Gohan didn't even open his eyes to respond. "Go away, Erasa," he said.

"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened, and...are you floating?"

Gohan sighed. "Yes."

"Wow, that is so cool!" Erasa said. "Can you teach me how to do that? I've always wanted to learn how to fly!"

"I'm not giving you flying lessons," Gohan said. "Now go away."

"But Gohan!" Erasa said. "We have to talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about," Gohan said.

"Yes, there is!" Erasa said. "Now wake up and pay attention!"

"Hmmm...no," Gohan said.

Gohan felt a fly land on his cheek. Then a second fly and a third fly, and it took him a moment to realize what was happening.

"Are you...slapping me?" Gohan asked.

"I'll keep doing it until you listen!" Erasa threatened.

Gohan opened his eyes and put his feet on the ground. "Fine," he said. "What do you want to tell me? That you're sorry for cheating on me with my best friend?"

"Something like that," Erasa said. "But you know, technically I didn't cheat on you, because we were never together."

"I know..." Gohan said. "I still feel betrayed, though..."

Erasa gave Gohan a sideways hug. "It's okay," she said. "You know, if I hadn't met Dende, I totally would have tried to ask you out, right?"

"So...I basically sabotaged my chances with you," Gohan said.

"Aha! You like me!" Erasa said. She did a fist pump. "Oh, I knew it! I can totally tell when a guy is into me!"

"This isn't helping!" Gohan said.

"Look, I'm sure you'll find another girl who likes you," Erasa said. "You're cute, and you're nice, and you're single! You're total boyfriend material."

"Really?" Gohan asked. That made him feel a little better.

"Really," Erasa said truthfully. "And the only reason I'm dating Dende is because, compared to you, he's, like, super boyfriend material."

That made Gohan feel bad again.

"I mean, so what if he's green? We totally have a connection between us," Erasa said. "And the best part is that Dende said he'll transfer to my school! So now I'll be going to Orange Star High with Videl and Sharperner _and_ Dende! Yay!"

Gohan made a mental note to _never_ transfer to that high school of madness.

"So you're not worried about going to high school anymore?" Gohan asked.

"No," Erasa said. "I mean, I'm still probably going to mess up and do something stupid—I know I kinda say a lot of stupid things—but I know everything is going to be fine because all my friends will be there to help me."

"All your friends, huh?" Gohan asked. It sounded nice. Nicer than Gohan's future of five years studying at home, in the middle of nowhere.

"All of them except _you_," Erasa said. "You should _totally_ try to go there!"

"You still want to be friends?" Gohan asked. "I thought you dumped me."

"A, I didn't dump you, and B, there's nothing you can do to stop me from being your friend," Erasa said. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. Friends don't give up on each other, even if one of them has lost an arm."

"Ah...thanks," Gohan said. "You're the best."

"You know...I can still give you a birthday kiss if you want," Erasa said. "Or would that be too weird?"

Gohan turned red. "Well...I...it might be..."

"That's a no," an angry voice said.

Erasa and Gohan looked up, to see that their potential kiss was, once again, being stopped by the kiss killer known as Videl Satan.

"Videl!" Gohan said. "I thought you were in the hospital! And in jail!"

"I'm out on bail," Videl said. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards Bulma, who was standing about five feet away. "I came here with Bulma because I want to talk to you."

"That's great!" Erasa said. "We totally need to talk! I just got a new _boyfriend!_ Eeeee!"

"Who is it?" Videl asked, and then she sighed because she _had _to ask. With Erasa's love life, you could never be sure.

"You'll love him!" Erasa said. "His name is Dende, and he's green with antennas, and he has the most _awesome_ dance moves, and—"

"Green with antennas?" Videl asked. "Are you drunk or something?"

"Don't ask," Gohan said.

"Dende is the alien who made the dragonballs," Bulma explained.

"Bulma!" Gohan said. He was slightly shocked; after all, Bulma was the one who made up the official rule that the Z-Fighters weren't allowed to tell outsiders about the dragonballs.

"She already told me the whole story," Videl said. "And she also told me what you did. You sacrificed your arm in order to get my father back."

"I...I did?" Gohan asked. "Well, I mean...now that you put it that way, I guess I did do that."

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you," Videl said.

"You could become his girlfriend!" Erasa suggested. "That way, the four of us could double-date!"

"I'm not _that_ grateful," Videl said. "But still, thank you. I can't believe you did that all for me."

"Um, you're welcome," Gohan said. He wisely decided not to mention that it was more of an accident than a purposeful decision on his part. After all, if Gohan had to choose between getting his arm back and getting Hercule back, he would have picked his arm.

"My memory still isn't working at 100% yet, but I know I've been a jerk to you all day," Videl said. "I'm sorry about that."

"Well, you had good reason," Gohan said. "I beat you in the Junior Division Championships."

"Ha!" Videl said. "You mean you got _lucky_ in the Junior Division Championships! If I was fighting at my best, instead of being put under some weird wizard anger spell, I totally would have beaten you."

"If you say so," Gohan said cheerfully.

"I _do_ say so," Videl said, scowling.

"You know, Gohan can fly and shoot laser beams out of his hands," Erasa said. "No offense, but he's like a million times stronger than you."

"Whatever," Videl said. "All I'm saying is I expect to see you at the next tournament, so we can have a rematch. You got that, stud?"

"Stud?" Gohan asked.

"I mean, Bud. Buddy!" Videl said, quickly. "You got that, Buddy?"

"She's totally into you," Erasa told Gohan. "I can tell."

"I am not!" Videl said. "I'm not like _you_, Erasa! I don't fall head over heels in love with some guy I've barely even met!"

"Then why are you so happy?" Erasa asked. "You've been a total grump for the past month or so!"

"My dad isn't dead, and I'm not going to jail!" Videl said. "Why _shouldn't_ I be happy?"

"This calls for a celebration!" Erasa said. "Let's party!"

"All right!" Gohan said, raising up his hand to give her a high five. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he didn't have that arm anymore. He awkwardly lowered his shoulder back to its normal height.

"Oh, never mind..." he mumbled.

* * *

><p><em>Twenty minutes later...<em>

"Mom says I have to go back home," Erasa told Gohan and Bulma. "And it looks like Videl's ready to leave too, so I guess I should get going."

Erasa gestured towards Videl, who was standing off at a distance, talking on her cell phone. Gohan had no idea how the cell phone made it through the entire day unscathed, but apparently it was still in working condition.

"See you later, I guess," Gohan said.

"Don't guess!" Erasa chided. "We'll totally see each other all the time when you become Videl's boyfriend."

"Yeah, about that..." Gohan said. "I'm not sure that's going to work."

"What? Why not?" Erasa asked. "I'll help you get together with her and everything!"

"I decided that I don't want to be her boyfriend," Gohan said. "Her dad is crazy, and she tried to kill me about ten times today. It won't work out."

"That sounds reasonable," Bulma said.

"Oh, whatever," Erasa said, brushing Gohan's objections aside. "Anyway, tell Videl I love her, 'kay? Bye!"

Erasa hugged Gohan and left. Gohan blushed when she did this.

"That Erasa is a strange girl," Bulma commented.

"Yeah..." Gohan said.

"Kind of obsessed with relationships, even for a girl with her first-ever boyfriend," Bulma said.

"Yeah..." Gohan said.

"Are you listening to me?" Bulma asked.

"Yeah..." Gohan said.

Bulma snapped her fingers in front of Gohan's face. "Focus, Gohan!"

"Huh, what?" Gohan asked, snapping out of his daze.

"Nothing," Bulma said. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's weird, that's all," Gohan said. "I met all these people today, and I'll probably never see any of them again."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Bulma said. "I'm sure you can keep in touch with them if you really want to."

Bulma thought it was good for Gohan to have friends of his own, instead of spending time with his father's friends. She didn't say this out loud, of course.

"But would that be worth it?" Gohan asked. "I mean—"

Videl hung up her phone and walked towards Bulma. "I don't believe it!" Videl complained. "My dad is in Russia! How did he end up in Russia?"

Gohan shrugged. "That's how it works if you wish someone to another planet with the dragonballs. They don't show up where you expect them to."

"That's stupid," Videl said. "Now I'm stuck with you until he gets back in the country."

"Huh?" Gohan asked.

"She means me, not you," Bulma said. "I paid her bail, so I guess that means I have to supervise her now."

"You paid Videl's bail?" Gohan asked. "I thought you said the police dropped the charges against you!"

"Well, they're _going_ to, I hope," Videl said. "I'm completely innocent. Majin Videl is the guilty one."

"I don't think that excuse will work with the police," Gohan said.

"Who asked your opinion, huh?" Videl asked. "Anyway, do you think you could buy my dad a plane ticket out of Russia?"

"I'm sure that your father can pay for his own ticket," Bulma said. "He _is_ a millionaire. Besides, I spent most of Gohan's prize money on your bail."

"You used _my_ money to bail her out?" Gohan asked. "I thought you said I won two million dollars! How much _was_ the bail?

Bulma suddenly became interested in her watch. "Oh, gee, look at the time!" she said. "We have to get you home, Gohan, before your mother starts to worry about you!"

"You said I could stay with you until my arm is back!" Gohan said.

"I changed my mind," Bulma said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Bulma used her private jet capsule to fly Videl and Gohan over to Gohan's house.<p>

Facing the wrath of Chi-Chi was not something Bulma was looking forward to, but it was infinitely better than the alternative: taking care of two thirteen-year-olds for an extended period of time.

Videl and Gohan were already proving to be quite the troublesome pair, because they started bickering every twenty seconds or so. Bulma was starting to wonder if she could build a time machine to skip over Trunks' teenage years.

When they finally landed in front of Gohan's house, Bulma was relieved that the long day was finally coming to an end.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to stay in the jet?" Gohan asked for the third time. "My mom is really emotional. I mean, _really_ emotional."

Videl rolled her eyes. "I told you already, I'll be fine," she said. "There's no way your mom can be worse than my dad."

"You haven't met my mom," Gohan said.

With great trepidation, Gohan knocked on the door. A sound similar to an elephant being hit by lightning came from inside the house as Chi-Chi flung the door open.

"Hi, Mom," Gohan said meekly.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, YOUNG MAN?" Chi-Chi yelled.

"Didn't you read my note?" Gohan asked. "I—"

"I READ THAT EXCUSE YOU CALL A NOTE!" Chi-Chi yelled. "YOU ARE GROUNDED UNTIL YOUR NEXT BIRTHDAY!"

"Yes, Mom," Gohan said, hanging his head low.

"Now you march straight up to your room and don't leave until I tell you to!" Chi-Chi ordered. "I almost _died_ from worry, today! Your little brother has been crying because he didn't know where you were! Instead of eating dinner tonight, I think you should eat the shame of what you've done!"

"Yes, Mom," Gohan repeated.

"Hey, I think Gohan deserves a _little_ credit," Videl said. "He saved the world today, you know!"

"I don't recall asking _your_ opinion, Miss...whoever you are!" Chi-Chi said. "I'm sure Gohan was running wild in town, going to movies, drinking at bars, and driving his poor mother wild with worry!"

"He was fighting evil monsters!" Videl said. "...And me."

"Fighting?" Chi-Chi said. "Gohan's not allowed to fight anyone! He's supposed to be a _scholar! _Gohan, if I find out you were fighting, then you're _double-_grounded."

"I didn't mean to—" Gohan said, but he was interrupted by a loud shriek from Chi-Chi.

"Your...your arm!" Chi-Chi said, pointing a shaking finger towards the place where Gohan's arm used to be. "Where...where is your ARM?"

"I lost it in a fight," Gohan said.

Chi-Chi fainted dead on the spot, and she had to be rushed to the hospital.


	14. The Trial

_Dear Videl,_

_It's Gohan, from the tournament. How are things going with you? I am fine, except my arm is missing and it makes it hard to type. I don't blame you for destroying my arm, but I still can't wait for Dende to get me a new one._

_I heard your trial is coming up soon. I hope the judge is nice and doesn't punish you too badly for killing all those innocent people. You're a good person, V-Dizzles. I'm sure you can make it through this._

_Best wishes,_

_Gohan Son_

* * *

><p>For a moment, Gohan just stared at what he typed on the computer.<p>

"That is the worst email ever," he said, hitting the delete button.

Gohan was unsure what to do. A week had gone by since the tournament, and he hadn't heard anything from the people he met there. He wasn't sure what to do, so he thought he'd send an email to Videl like Erasa suggested, and see what was going on. That was normal, right?

"Maybe not," Gohan said. "Who emails someone they only met once?"

It took Gohan five hours to write a seventy-word email to Videl. It wasn't worth the effort, because he never got a response to the email. Well, technically, Gohan _did_ get a response, but it wasn't from Videl.

_Dear Snot Nose Punk Kid,_

_If you ever send my daughter an em-mail again, I will hunt you down and cook your bacon for breakfast! Along with some eggs and pancakes! She is too young to be getting em-mails from boys! Especially the one who __**cheated**__ to defeat her in the World Martial Arts Tournament!_

_Signed,_

_Hercule Hieronymus "The Champ" Satan, the guy who is stronger that you._

Gohan didn't try contacting Videl again after that.

* * *

><p>The phone rang downstairs.<p>

"Son residence," Chi-Chi said, picking up the phone on the fourth ring.

"Hello, Mrs. Son. Can I talk to Gohan, please?" a female voice said.

"Gohan is grounded and not accepting calls from anyone now. Sorry."

Chi-Chi hung up the phone and walked away, humming to herself.

The phone rang again.

"Hello, Son residence."

"It's an emergency! Erasa's going to marry—"

"It will have to wait," Chi-Chi said calmly.

Chi-Chi hung up the phone, but in a few seconds, the phone rang again. Chi-Chi snatched it up.

"WHAT THE HECK IS IT NOW?" she yelled.

"Maybe you didn't _hear_ me!" Videl said. "Dende and Erasa are getting—"

"DENDE! DENDE!" Chi-Chi yelled. "That Good-For-Nothing Guardian of Earth who can't even find the [bad word] dragonballs! It's been a whole week, and my son _STILL_ hasn't gotten his arm back!"

"Because he's marrying my best friend!" Videl said. "Somebody has to stop them, and I don't know anyone besides you who knows Dende!"

"Oh, I'll _stop_ him, all right!" Chi-Chi said. "Where is that bum?"

"He's at the Hercule City Courthouse," Videl said. "I'm here, too, but I don't know if I can stop them."

"I'll be there!" Chi-Chi promised. She hung up the phone, then yelled, "GOHAN!"

"Yes, Mom?" Gohan asked.

"I have to get the Hercule City Courthouse as quickly as possible," she said. "So take me there, NOW."

Whenever Chi-Chi had to travel somewhere quickly, she had Gohan fly her there. She couldn't use the Flying Nimbus Cloud to travel anymore, because she wasn't as pure of heart as she was when she was younger. Maybe her near-constant fits of rage had something to do with that.

* * *

><p>The Hercule City Courthouse was a building made completely out of wood. It looked kind of odd to most people, but the idea behind it was that the highly-polished surfaces give off a sense of justice.<p>

"This is a stupid-looking courthouse," Chi-Chi commented, holding the two-year-old Goten in her arms. "Now where's that dumb alien?"

Gohan closed his eyes and searched for Dende's energy signal. "He's not far," Gohan said. "Follow me."

Gohan led the way towards the energy signal, and he came across Dende and Erasa, who were talking with Videl in the hallway.

"Gohan! Hiiii!" Erasa said, waving her arm around. "I'm Mrs. Dende now!"

"You green-skinned idiot!" Chi-Chi shouted. "What have you been up to?"

"I just got married!" Dende said, proudly. "Erasa and I—"

_"Why haven't you collected the dragonballs and wished Gohan's arm back?" _Chi-Chi screeched.

Goten started crying.

"Great, now you upset Goten!" Chi-Chi said.

Erasa shoved her hand in Gohan's face. "See my marriage ring, Gohan! Isn't it the cutest?"

"You can't get married," Gohan said. "It's legally impossible. You're both minors."

"Not true!" Dende said. "One Namekian year is only four Earth months long! Technically, I'm 39."

"Erasa's still 13," Videl pointed out.

"Yeah, but I can still get married, with the permission of my legal guardian," Erasa said.

"You mean, your mom?" Gohan asked.

"No, I'm adopted, remember?" Erasa said.

"She means the _Guardian_ of Earth!" Dende said. "Technically, I'm the legal guardian of everyone!"

"You quit your job as guardian to go look for the dragonballs!" Gohan said.

"WHICH YOU HAVEN'T DONE!" Chi-Chi shouted.

"Shhhhhhh!" Dende said. "Keep it down, will you? The whole Guardian of Earth paperwork hasn't been processed yet! If the people here learn about it, they could revoke our marriage license!"

"Good," Videl said. "Who's the judge that signed off on your paperwork? I need to pay him a visit."

"It took Goku _three hours_ to find the dragonballs!" Chi-Chi said. "You've had a whole week! You're a failure of a guardian _and_ dragonball hunter!"

"Look, I'm only one dragonball away from getting all seven. I'll look for it after the honeymoon—URK!"

Chi-Chi grabbed Dende by the collar and lifted him a foot in the air. "You'll look for it _now_, Mister! Or the next wish we'll make on the dragonballs will be bringing _you_ back to life!"

"Don't hurt my hubby!" Erasa said.

"Soon to be ex-hubby," Videl said.

"You're such a jerk, Videl!" Erasa said. "Why can't you be happy for me?"

"You need to know someone longer than a week before you marry them!" Videl said.

The disjointed argument was interrupted by a sinister-looking man in a light suit, accompanied by some security guards. "Well, well, well..." the man said. "Causing trouble, are we?"

One security guard took out his handcuffs. "Is there going to be a problem here?"

"Oh, it's okay, we're leaving," Erasa said. She grabbed Dende's hand and ran off.

"Yeah, bye!" Dende said.

_"I will break every one of your bones if you don't give me the dragonballs before the end of the day!"_ Chi-Chi yelled at the retreating couple.

The man in the suit seemed slightly disappointed. "Ah," he said. "Well, now that the fun is over, it's time for you to go back into custody."

"Custody?" Chi-Chi asked.

"He means me," Videl said. "...My trial is today. That's why I was at the courthouse."

"I'm Buster Ball, Attorney at Law," the man in the suit said. "I'm the lead prosecutor for the case."

"Good for you," Chi-Chi said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, my sons and I need to be leaving. Come on, Gohan."

Our heroes _almost_ made halfway to the door, when the lawyer shouted.

"HOLD IT!" he said. "You're not Gohan Son, are you? The one we served a subpoena to?"

"Subpoena?" Gohan asked. "I never got any—"

"Oh, no way," Chi-Chi said. "_You're_ that weirdo who called earlier, spouting all that legal mumbo jumbo nonsense!"

Mr. Ball adjusted his tie, offended. "Madam, I am a well-respected lawyer, and—"

"I told you, Gohan can't help your silly little trial, because he's grounded!" Chi-Chi said. "Now leave us alone!"

"In the eyes of the law, that's not a reason for skipping court," Mr. Ball said. "We have summoned him as a witness, and he is legally required to testify. Otherwise, the next trial we hold will be for _him_."

"Do you even _know_ what being grounded means?" Chi-Chi asked. "Gohan's lucky he even got to come here today! I'm not going to let him help the daughter of the man who—"

"Mom, that's not—!" Gohan said.

"What are you—?" Videl asked.

"Waaaaaaaaah!" Goten cried.

"I think you are confused," Mr. Ball said. "We need your son to testify, so we can prove Videl Satan is guilty."

"Guilty?" Chi-Chi asked. Visions of revenge against the loud-mouthed Hercule appeared in her head. "Hmmm...that changes things..."

"Oh, no," Gohan said. "Mom, you can't seriously think about making me testify against—"

"He'll do it!" Chi-Chi said. "That'll teach that phony not to steal Gohan's glory!"

"Awww..." Gohan said. "Do I have to testify about how she destroyed my arm?"

"She's responsible for the injury to your arm, too?" Mr. Ball blinked, then grinned. "Interesting. Tell me more..."

"Uh oh," Gohan said.

* * *

><p>Gohan prided himself on being a very honest and truthful person. He knew lying was wrong, no matter what the circumstances were.<p>

So why did it feel so bad when he testified against Videl in court?

The lawyer started things off by showing footage of the Junior Division Championship Fight between Gohan and Videl. Unlike the version shown on TV, the footage was unedited.

_"WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU?" Videl demanded._

_She tried punching as quickly as possible, but Gohan was able to dodge them all without much effort._

_"RAAAAAGH!" __Videl __shouted. __"__Stop! __Dodging! __Raugh!__"_

_"You __have __to __realize __by __now __that __you're __too __slow,"__Gohan __said. __"There's __no __way __you __can __hit __me."_

_"__I'll __show __your __[bad __words] __too __slow!__"__Videl __said._

"Mr. Son, are you the man featured in this video?" the lawyer asked.

"Yes, sir," Gohan said.

"And the woman is the defendant, Videl Satan, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And this occurred on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament, correct?"

Gohan nodded. "Yes, that was the fight to determine who would be the Junior Division Champion."

"And how did you feel during this fight?"

"Well, that fight was the first time I met the defendant," Gohan said. "And she was so angry at me...I was kind of afraid that she wanted to kill me."

"Would you say the defendant has anger issues?"

"No...maybe?" Gohan said. "I mean, maybe she has a bit of a temper, but I don't think that's her fault. She probably learned it from her father."

"Hey, you punk!" Hercule shouted from the gallery. "What are you saying? You think I have anger management issues? Don't make me come down there and teach you the real meaning of pain!"

"Order in the court!" the judge said, banging his gavel.

"I think this testimony and the video prove that, on the day in question, the defendant showed clear signs of aggression towards our witness, a complete stranger to her," the prosecutor summarized. "She did not hesitate to use extreme violence against him."

"Objection!" the defense attorney said. "Your honor, they were in a martial arts competition! It makes sense that she would be aggressive!"

"Objection sustained," the Judge said.

The prosecutor shook his head. "Ah, but that was not the only time the defendant fought you that day, was it, Mr. Son?"

"No sir," Gohan said. "She also fought me, after the tournament."

"When you were not scheduled to have a fight, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Meaning that she attacked you, outside of the competition," the prosecutor said. "And it was in that fight that you lost your arm, wasn't it?"

"Yes..." Gohan mumbled.

"Objection!" the defense attorney cried. "This testimony—"

"Overruled!" the judge said. "Witness, please tell us more about this second attack."

Gohan looked over at the defendant's bench, where Videl was sitting. She looked like she was trying very hard not to hit the table in front of her.

"I..." Gohan said.

* * *

><p>There were two more witnesses after Gohan, and then the court took a recess. Gohan met up with Chi-Chi, and the two of them were going to leave, when an angry female teenager accosted him.<p>

"What the heck kind of testimony was that?" Erasa demanded. "You made Videl look guilty!"

"Erasa?" Gohan asked. "Didn't you and Dende run off together?"

"I got the final dragonball, if that's what you mean," Dende said, holding the two-star ball in his hands. "We came back to see the trial."

"And the trial was a disaster!" Erasa said. "Your testimony will get Videl sent to jail for sure!"

"The dragonballs!" Chi-Chi said. "Where are all the others?"

"I've got them outside," Dende said. "We can go and—"

"_You left the dragonballs lying out in the open?"_ Chi-Chi screeched.

"You said that Videl wanted to murder you!" Erasa said.

"But...she _did_ try to kill me," Gohan said. "Multiple times. I couldn't lie about that in court."

"Nobody can use the dragonballs without the one I have here!" Dende said.

"I want my son's arm back!" Chi-Chi said. "And then I want a magic buffet that's always filled with food, so I never have to cook again!"

"What kind of friend _are_ you?" Erasa asked.

"The kind who never commits perjury!" Gohan said.

Eventually, the arguments came to a halt, as our heroes decided to use the dragonballs to magically solve all their problems, like always.

"O Eternal Dragon, Shenron, I summon you by your name!" Dende said.

The sky turned dark as the dragonballs glowed. A bright light shone from them, and from that light, the humongous dragon known as Shenron came forth.

Shenron's eyes blazed with anger. "It has not been a year since my last summoning," he said. "How is it that I am still here?"

"That dragon guy is scary," Erasa whimpered.

"The Earth switched guardians, O mighty scaled one," Dende said. "And we beg you to grant our wishes."

"I am not your personal genie," Shenron said. "Why should I grant your wishes?"

"Because...we gathered the dragonballs?" Dende asked.

Shenron growled, but he could not argue with Dende. The rules clearly said that Shenron had to grant the wishes of anyone who gathered the dragonballs.

"Very well, what is your first wish?" Shenron asked.

"I wish that Gohan Son's arm was fully restored!" Dende said.

"That's the kid with the black hair!" Chi-Chi yelled at Shenron. "He's my son!"

Shenron focused, and within half a second, Gohan's arm reappeared.

"Augh!" Gohan screamed in surprise.

"It is done," Shenron said. "What is your second wish?"

Dende turned to look at Gohan, who was busy trying out his newly-acquired arm.

"Gohan!" Dende said. "What's the second wish?"

"Huh?" Gohan asked. "Oh, yeah. I think we should use the second wish to have everyone forget what happened at the tournament. That way, Videl won't be sentenced to jail, and nothing else bad can happen."

"Do you want _everyone_ to forget it?" Dende asked. "I mean, including us?"

"Everyone except us, obviously," Gohan said.

"Gotcha," Dende said, giving Gohan a thumbs up.

"Make it so everyone on Earth except for us forgets what happened at the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Dende said to Shenron. "You know, with the whole evil wizard appearing and causing havoc thing."

"That is a more difficult wish..." Shenron said. His eyes glowed as he worked his magic.

* * *

><p>Inside the courtroom, things were looking bad for Videl.<p>

"Is there really a need for more testimony?" the prosecutor asked. "It's obvious that the defendant is guilty."

The judge banged his gavel. "The defense has the right to summon its own witnesses," he said. "Although, in my opinion..."

Suddenly, a yellow light filled the courtroom, and everyone was momentarily blinded.

"I...what am I doing here?" the judge asked. "Are we...having a trial?"

"A trial...for what?" the prosecutor asked.

"This is odd," the defense attorney said. She turned to Videl, who was sitting next to her on the defendant's bench. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Videl," Videl said. "Who are _you?_"

* * *

><p>"It is done!" Shenron said. "I now leave you!"<p>

Shenron disappeared, along with the dragonballs, not to be seen again for another year.

Dende clapped his hands. "I think that worked! Videl should be safe, and—"

"AAAAAA!" Erasa screamed. "_A green monster!_"

"Huh?" Dende asked.

Erasa dived behind Gohan. "You're a boy!" she said. "Protect me from that weird alien thing!"

Chi-Chi blinked. "What just happened?" she asked. "Where are we?"

"Erasa, Babe! It's me, Dende!" Dende said. "Your husband...remember?"

"I think you messed up the wish to have everyone forget about the tournament," Gohan said.

"You _think?_" Dende said. "I meant 'us' as in all of us here, not just the two of us making the wish!"

"Wish?" Chi-Chi asked. "What wish?"

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. "Have you been messing around with the dragonballs, Gohan?"

"Um..." Gohan said.

"This is a disaster!" Dende said. "Erasa, you don't remember me? Your dandy Dende?"

"How...how do you know my name?" Erasa asked. She clutched Gohan's shoulders and wailed, "Save me, tall hot guy!"

"Don't you dare flirt with my son!" Chi-Chi said. "You...who are you?"

_Why does my life have to be so complicated?_ Gohan wondered.

* * *

><p>Things were eventually sorted out. At least, things were sorted out if you consider "Erasa running away scared, while Dende chased after her" to be "sorting things out."<p>

Gohan explained to his mother that they used the dragonballs to help save a girl who was being unfairly prosecuted. Chi-Chi could tell that Gohan wasn't lying—Gohan was _really_ bad at lying, after all—so she decided to believe him. The Sons then went home, and Gohan quite enjoyed not being grounded anymore. Chi-Chi's groundings were brutal, and they could last for years if you weren't careful.

_Finally, everything is finished..._ Gohan thought.

It was somewhat unfortunate that everyone but himself and Dende knew what _really_ happened at the World Martial Arts Tournament that year, but it was probably for the best. After all, if everyone in the world knew about his powers, there was no way of predicting what the negative consequences would be.

In the months that followed, Gohan spent most of his time at home, happily studying. Things were happy for our other friends, too. Dende resumed his job as the Earth's Guardian, Sharpener was extremely excited to be going to Orange Star High, and Erasa was surprised to learn that she was the only one of her friends who was accepted into the advanced English class.

Videl believed that _she_ won the Junior Division Championship, and she was quite proud of herself. Her father Hercule was even prouder of her win than he was of his own championship belt, and the two of them had several father/daughter bonding moments that are not worth describing here, except perhaps for one, in which Hercule and Videl teamed up to fight a street thug.

That fight was the start of a long crime-fighting partnership Videl built with the local police department, but that's another story completely.

* * *

><p><em>Six months later...<em>

Videl was cleaning out the inbox on her email server, mentally berating herself for not doing this more often.

That was when she noticed an old email, from half a year ago. The subject read "World Martial Arts Tournament". Videl raised an eyebrow upon seeing the sender's name.

"Who the heck is Gohan Son?" she wondered. Intrigued, she double-clicked on the email, so she could read it.

**The End of Part 1**


	15. Meeting Videl Again

**Author's Note:** So, here's the start of Part Two! For those of you who didn't read the other chapters or don't remember what happened, here's a recap: A lot of crazy things happened at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Shenron erased everyone's memories of that day, so conveniently, no one knows what happened. Unfortunately, Shenron didn't erase a telling email that Gohan had sent to Videl...

* * *

><p><em>Dear Gohan Son,<em>

_I know this might sound strange, but I found this email in my inbox just now. Did you send it to me six months ago? I don't remember receiving it, and to be honest, I don't remember you. Could you please explain? It's a very strange email._

_-Videl._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Videl,<em>

_Yes, I sent you that message. I'm the person who fought you in the Junior Division Championships._

* * *

><p><em>I remember now. You're the short fighter that I beat in forty seconds. Sorry if I embarrassed you or anything like that.<em>

_So...what did you mean in your email, when you talk about my trial and your arm? It sounds like I was on trial for breaking your arm or something like that._

_-Videl_

* * *

><p><em>It was a joke, based on something you said to me during the fight. You probably don't remember. It doesn't matter. It's not important. My arm is fine. Congratulations on your win.<em>

* * *

><p><em>I have another question for you, though. How did you get my email address? I don't remember giving it to you, and I don't see any reason why I would give my email to someone I spent less than a minute with.<em>

_Not to doubt you or anything, but that is a really strange letter, and I still want an explanation of what it means._

_-Videl_

* * *

><p>"Why won't she leave me alone?" Gohan wondered. It was a shock to him when Videl emailed him out of nowhere, and after a minor panic attack, Gohan decided that the best thing to do would be to end things quickly. That meant short emails, trying to brush Videl off. Eventually, she'd lose interest and stop sending emails.<p>

But for some reason, Videl kept responding to him. And the questions she was asking were really hard to just brush aside.

_How am I going to explain this?_ Gohan thought. _Tell her that a magical dragon erased her memory of the entire day?_

Gohan eventually settled for saying Erasa gave him Videl's email address. But to avoid getting Erasa in trouble, Gohan threw in a sentence saying that he hadn't seen or heard from Erasa since then. That was technically true, even though it left out most of the details.

_Maybe she'll be happy with just that, and she won't ask me any more questions,_ Gohan thought.

* * *

><p>Videl was in her room, doing her homework. At least, she was <em>supposed<em> to be doing her homework. Instead, she was lying on her bed, watching TV, when someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?" Videl said, sitting up and turning off the TV.

Hercule stepped into the room, looking rather stern. He was wearing a hideous green shirt with matching tracksuit pants, instead of his normal fighter's outfit.

"Videl, we need to talk," he said.

"Yes, Dad?" Videl asked.

"Who is this Gohan kid you keep sending em-mails to?" Hercule asked.

Videl was so used to her father monitoring her emails that it didn't even phase her anymore. There was a time when she used to complain about it, but that was one battle she could never win.

"For the last time, it's _e-mail_, not em-mail," Videl said. "And to be honest, I'm not sure who she is."

"You're not sure?" Hercule gasped. "Videl, I warned you about sending messages to strangers on the Internet! It's dangerous! How do you know this Gohan isn't a 30-year-old pervert who's planning on kidnapping you?"

"But I know her," Videl said. "Kind of. We fought at the World Martial Arts Tournament. She seemed normal enough."

"What was her name again?" Hercule asked.

"Gohan Son," Videl said.

"Hmmm..." Hercule said, spinning the gears of his world-famous memory. "Which one was she, again?"

"She came in second place, so she was the last person I fought," Videl said. "She's the short kid with the red hair."

"What?" Hercule asked. "No, your last opponent was a tall kid with black hair!"

"You're wrong," Videl said. "I remember that she was shorter than me."

"Uh..." Hercule said. He didn't want to upset Videl by pointing out the fact that she was about a foot shorter than everyone else her age. "No, you definitely fought a tall kid with big hair. And he was a boy, not a girl."

"What kind of boy is named _Gohan?_" Videl asked. "It sounds like a girl's name to me."

Hercule snorted angrily. "So you're admitting that you've been em-mailing this person, without knowing whether or not he is a girl or a boy! I told you, it's dangerous to send em-mails to strangers!"

"But she's _not_ a stranger!" Videl said. "Where's the video of that fight? I'll show you I'm right!"

* * *

><p>Hercule managed to track down the footage from the tournament, and he and Videl watched it on his big TV. They skipped straight to the Junior Division Championship Match, and they both were paying close attention as the announcer introduced Gohan.<p>

"Ha!" Hercule said. "I told you it was a boy!"

"Fine, you're right," Videl said, grumpily. How could she have forgotten? It was only six months ago...

The fight continued, and Videl sat up sharply as the version of herself on TV started screaming in rage. "That's...not what I remember at all," she said.

"Me neither," Hercule said, scratching his head.

The Videl on the TV started cussing out Gohan while attempting to break all of his bones.

"You're way out of control," Hercule commented. "Why don't I remember this?"

"I...I thought the fight was over in under a minute!" Videl said. "Something is seriously wrong here!"

The big shocker, of course, came at the end of the match.

"I _LOST?_" Videl shouted, at the same time Hercule asked, "He _won?_"

The two of them looked at each other in confusion for a moment.

"I think...I think I should send Gohan another email," Videl said at last.

"That...that's probably for the best," Hercule said.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Gohan,<em>

_My father and I watched the footage from the World Martial Arts Tournament. We need to talk to you. Now._

_-Videl_

* * *

><p>Two nervous people appeared at Hercule's mansion the next day.<p>

"_This_ is her house?" Gohan asked, looking up at the towering structure before him. "It's huge!"

"You know, according to my official guardian book, Erasa San only lives about two blocks away from here," Dende said. He tapped the Guardian Book—magically charmed to be the size of a normal book—for emphasis. "We should go see her once we're finished with this."

Gohan pressed the button under the speaker box near the front door, then turned to look at his green friend. "The cute girl with the long hair? Why do you care so much about her?"

Dende huffed. "She was my _girlfriend_, thank you very much! We almost got married!"

"Yeah, but she doesn't remember you anymore," Gohan said. "Didn't she scream and run away the last time she saw you?"

"Don't remind me," Dende said. Sometimes, being a green alien from outer space really hindered Dende's ability to create meaningful relationships with other people.

"I dunno, the idea of you and her being a couple still seems weird to me," Gohan said. "You two aren't even the same species."

"That doesn't matter," Dende said. "It didn't stop Krillin from marrying Android 18, right? True love conquers all!"

Like many teenagers, Dende had misguided ideas about the nature of love.

"But...aren't you asexual?" Gohan asked. "Why would you want a girlfriend in the first place?"

"Being asexual has nothing to do with this!" Dende said, getting unnecessarily upset. "Sex isn't the only reason to want a girlfriend, you pervert! I like her because she listens to me and she understands me, unlike _everyone else!_"

"Woah," Gohan said, taking a step backwards. "Calm down, Dende."

"Do you know what it's like, living at the Lookout?" Dende asked. "Do you? There's nobody to talk to besides Piccolo, who spends all his time sleeping!"

"Meditating," Gohan corrected.

"Same difference!" Dende said. "He just sits there all day with his eyes closed, not even moving an inch! You can't talk to a guy like that! And the only other person there is Mr. Popo, who spends all his time cooking food!"

"Cooking food?" Gohan asked.

"Who do you think keeps the Hyperbolic Time Chamber filled with food all the time?" Dende said. "Mr. Popo makes an entire year's worth of food, every single day, on the off chance that someone will need the room. It's crazy! And when he's not busy cooking, he's gardening! There's nobody there for me to talk to!"

"Gee, I didn't know you were so lonely," Gohan said.

"Of course I'm lonely!" Dende said. "I live a thousand miles from anyone who's not a Z Fighter, and whenever I try to talk to normal people, they run away screaming because I'm green! Erasa was the _only person_ who ever accepted me for who I am! So _excuse me_ if I still miss her!"

* * *

><p>Inside the mansion, Hercule and Videl were sitting at a table, listening to Dende and Gohan's conversation through the speaker box.<p>

"Do you think they'll ever figure out that they pressed the speaker button, not the doorbell?" Hercule asked.

"Probably not," Videl said. "We should tell them eventually."

"Yeah..." Hercule said. "Eventually."

* * *

><p><em>Eventually<em>...

Gohan and Dende sat in chairs on one side of the table, while Hercule and Videl sat on the other side. Hercule was wearing a suit, which barely contained his bulging muscles.

"As the only lawyer here, I have drawn up some suitable contracts for you to sign," Hercule said, tapping a folder full of papers. He put the folder on the table and slid it over to Dende and Gohan. "I suggest you read them carefully."

"Since when are you a lawyer?" Videl asked.

"Hey, I went to law school!" Hercule said.

"I've got this," Dende said. He pulled the Guardian Book and began reading. "Hercule Satan. Born as Stan Hercules, but had to change to a stage name due to a misprint. Five feet, eleven inches...still sleeps with his favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Monkey...ah, here we go. Law school."

Dende cleared his throat. "While attending Orange Star Community College, Stan Hercules became enamored with a Miss Alexandra Alexandria. In order to spend more time with her, he decided to sneak into some of her law classes at Orange Star Law School. During the second class, he got in a fist fight with another student, who made a comment about Alexandra's clothes. As a result, Stan was expelled from the law school, even though he had never officially enrolled."

"You..." Hercule gasped. "How did you know that?"

Dende grinned. "I'm just awesome that way."

"And I don't understand these contracts," Gohan said. "You want us to...keep quite?"

"Oops, typo," Hercule said. "I meant _quiet_. You need to keep quiet about the whole matter."

"As in, don't tell anyone about it, ever," Videl said.

"You see, I have purchased all the footage to the World Martial Arts Tournament, and I plan on destroying it," Hercule said. "That way, no one can ever know what happened that day."

"You mean, no one can ever know you lost the tournament," Dende said.

"No!" Hercule said. "I'm doing this for Videl! No one can know that she turned into an evil monster! Mashion Videl or whatever she called herself."

"Majin Videl," Gohan corrected.

"Whatever," Hercule said. "Her reputation is at stake here! So how much is it going to cost to keep you guys quiet?"

"A hundred million—" Dende said, before Gohan put his hand over Dende's mouth.

"We're not going to accept a bribe," Gohan said. "That's dishonest."

"Bribe?" Hercule asked. "This is a respectable legal contract, not a bribe! But seriously, how much?"

"Look, we won't tell anyone, but that's because we have just as much to lose as you do here," Gohan said. "If that video got out, everyone would know that I can fly and shoot energy balls from my hands. The government might lock me up and perform experiments on me for being half-alien."

Hercule laughed. "You can't fly!" he said. "Those are just stupid tricks, like the people at the Cell Games did!"

Gohan used his energy to push him up, several feet off the floor. Hercule just scoffed.

"You're using ropes, pulleys, and maybe a bit of Peter Pan Pixie Dust," Hercule said. "I'm not impressed."

Dende charged up an energy ball the size of a baseball, and he shot it at Hercule's head. A hole appeared in Hercule's afro.

"NO!" Hercule screamed. "WHAT IN THE [bad word] MY POOR [bad word] AFRO [bad word] [bad word] HIPPOPOTAMUS [bad word] WERE YOU THINKING?"

"So it _is_ real!" Videl said. "This is...it's a nightmare."

"And we're going to keep it a secret," Gohan said. "No one can know about this. Got that? _No one._"

By "no one", Gohan meant his mother. If Chi-Chi knew what happened, Gohan would be grounded forever. Truth be told, that was pretty much the only reason Gohan didn't want the story to become public knowledge.

"So _some_ of us can't blab to the media," Dende said, giving Hercule a stern look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hercule said. "I'm not a loud-mouthed squealer! I won't tell anyone, I swear! I _never_ say anything that's unnecessary or superfluous! I'm more worried about _you!_"

Hercule ripped off his suit, revealing his martial arts outfit underneath. Heavy metal music started playing as he dramatically pointed at Gohan.

"If you _ever_ tell anyone about this, you're gonna be in a world of pain! The Champ is going to _destroy_ you! Got that?"

"...Dad, you _do _know that they're both stronger than you, right?" Videl asked.

"HA HA HAH!" Hercule laughed. "AH HA HA HA HAR HA HA! I am Hercule, World Champion of Martial Arts!"

Videl sighed. "So, is that it?" she asked. "None of us will ever tell anyone about what happened at the tournament. We all agree to this, right?"

"Right," Gohan said.

"Right," Hercule said.

"Righty-o," Dende said.

"And if anyone asks, we don't know each other," Videl said.

"Right," Gohan said.

"Can do," Dende said.

"Uh, I think it'd be suspicious if I pretended I don't know you, Videl," Hercule said.

"Not you!" Videl said. "Anyway, we're all agreed on this. You guys leave our house now, and we never see each other again. Got it?"

"Deal," Dende said, grabbing Videl's hand and shaking it.

With that, our heroes agreed that the best solution would be to pretend that nothing ever happened. If any problems arose, they would deny everything. This strategy is sometimes employed by the government during times of crisis.

Once the agreement was over, Gohan and Dende were taken to the front door, so they could leave.

"Oh, wait, one more thing," Videl said. "Can you teach me how to fly?"

"Oooh, yeah!" Hercule said. "If that's real, I wanna learn how to do it! It'd be so cool!"

"Uh...no," Gohan said. "See ya."

Gohan stepped out the front door, while Videl said, "Hey Greenie! Gimme a sec, will ya?"

Dende turned around and closed the door. "What?"

"Teach us how to fly," Videl said.

"I'm going to agree with Gohan on this," Dende said. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'll help you get Erasa to be your girlfriend again," Videl offered.

"Deal!" Dende said.

"Yeah!" Hercule said. "Wait, who's Erasa?"


	16. An Afternoon at the Park

Dende stepped out the front door of Hercule's mansion. Gohan raised his eyebrows.

"What did she want?" Gohan asked.

"She wants me to teach her how to fly," Dende said. "No big deal."

"You didn't say yes, did you?" Gohan asked. "We have to pretend we don't know each other!"

"I said no," Dende said. "Don't worry about it."

"Fine," Gohan said. "Let's just go home, then."

"You know, I never get out very often," Dende said. "Let's go to the park instead!"

* * *

><p>As quickly as possible, Videl called Erasa.<p>

"Hey, Videl," Erasa said, picking up on the third ring. "What's up?"

"Erasa, you have to get to the park right away," Videl said. "There's a guy there who wants to meet you."

"Really?" Erasa said.

"Yeah," Videl said. "I told him you'd be at the park in ten minutes."

"You did?" Erasa asked. "That's great! What's he like?"

"He's...different," Videl said. "But he really likes you! You have to meet him."

"How do you know he likes me?" Erasa asked.

"He told me," Videl said.

"Really," Erasa said, sounding unconvinced. "A guy just happened to tell you that he likes me."

"Of...course he did!" Videl said, trying to make it seem that guys told her about their secret crushes all the time. "He knows that we're friends, because he's been following you for a while."

"He's a stalker?" Erasa asked.

"No, he's just shy," Videl said. "Will you just go out to the park and meet him, already? He's crazy about you!"

"Fine, but in return, I get to set _you_ up with someone," Erasa said. "Deal?"

"No way," Videl said.

"Then I'm not going to the park," Erasa said.

"You are the worst best friend ever," Videl said.

"That's my offer. Take it or leave it," Erasa said.

"Fine," Videl said. "I didn't want to learn how to fly anyway!"

Videl hung up the phone, leaving Erasa very confused.

* * *

><p>Dende and Gohan were sitting at a bench in the park. Dende was watching a butterfly, while Gohan seemed impatient to leave.<p>

"Why'd you bring the Guardian Book, anyway?" Gohan asked.

"In case we needed to resort to blackmail," Dende said. "It's got everything about Hercule in here."

"Really?" Gohan asked. "Everything?"

"Yeah, you can look up, and—WOAH!" Dende said, flipping through the book.

"What?" Gohan asked.

"Check out the _Romantic Interests_ section!" Dende said. "He's got fifty different girlfriends listed here!"

"Let me see that," Gohan said, taking the book. "Whitney Applegate, rejected his offer to go on a date fifteen times in a row. Christina Potter, agreed to go on a 'romantic dinner' with him, was severely disappointed when he took her to McDonalds. Lucy Temple, told him to—Woah! That's not polite!"

"Awh," Dende said. "That's not a list of his girlfriends. It's a list of girls he tried to date, but failed at."

"Yeah, looks like he failed at most of his romantic attempts," Gohan said, skimming the list. "Oh, wait, here's one. Marge Fain, went on three dates with him, but he called it off when she tried to kiss him. I wonder why he didn't want to kiss her."

"Here," Dende said. He reached out his hand and triple-tapped his finger on the entry about Hercule and Marge. The story expanded to fill the whole page, and more details were filled in.

"I have _got_ to get a book like this," Gohan said. "It'd make studying so much simpler."

"Um, hello?" a voice said.

Gohan looked up and dropped the book. Standing in front of him was Erasa San, wearing short shorts and a red top. Her long blonde hair was messily-brushed.

"ERASA!" Dende said. "It's great to see you again!"

"You're green," Erasa pointed out.

Dende's face fell, as did his antennae. "You noticed," he said.

"I'm Gohan, and he's Dende," Gohan said. "I haven't seen you in a while, Erasa."

Erasa smiled. _Hey, he's kind of cute! Maybe Videl has good taste!_ she thought.

"It's nice to see you again, Gohan!" Erasa said, holding out her hand for Gohan to shake. "When did we last meet?"

Gohan stood up and shook Erasa's hand. "It was at the World Martial Arts Tournament," he said. "That was six months ago, so I don't expect you to remember."

_Also, a magical dragon named Shenron stole your memories, like some kind of evil hypnotist._

"You met me too, remember?" Dende said hopefully.

"Uh...no," Erasa said. "So, six months! It's been awhile! What brings you back into town?"

"I had...to meet someone," Gohan said.

"Really? How fascinating!" Erasa said, really putting on the charm. "Why don't we go for a walk together, and we can talk more about it?"

Dende jumped up. "That sounds like a great idea!"

Erasa wrapped her arms around Gohan's arm. "A walk _alone_," he said.

"Oh," Dende said. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."

Gohan and Erasa went in one direction, while Dende went in the other. Neither Gohan nor Dende seemed happy about this.

"Oh, sure, just ignore me," Dende said. "I'm only the Guardian of Earth, no big deal! Sheesh, what did I see in her, anyway?"

Dende sighed, then flew up into the sky, making the long trip back home to the Lookout.

"And stupid Gohan," Dende said. "This is all pretty much his fault. If he didn't go to the World Martial Arts Tournament six months ago, none of this would have happened!"

Dende spit in anger. "And he keeps pretending that he's this naïve, innocent little boy. HA! I can see right through that one! He's been trying to steal Erasa from me this whole time! Well, that's it, Gohan! I'm through being your friend! From now on, you get to feel the wrath...OF DENDE, THE GUARDIAN OF EARTH!"

Thunder crashed in the background as Dende laughed evilly. Soon, he would make Gohan suffer more than any Guardian of Earth had ever made anyone suffer!

* * *

><p>"So...this is it?" Dende asked.<p>

"This is it," Mr. Popo said.

Dende read the piece of paper in front of him, which contained an exhaustive list of all the ways the Guardian of Earth could get revenge on someone.

1. Mess up their hair  
>2. Make them five seconds late to dinner<br>3. Tell them boring stories

"No, seriously," Dende said. "Can't I do something like, I dunno, change fate so Gohan gets hit by a bus?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Mr. Popo said. "The Kais have very strict rules about what the Guardian of Earth can and cannot do."

"Darn," Dende said. "And I can't mess up Gohan's hair. Nobody could tell the difference! Guess I'll have to forget about getting revenge on him."

And that's just what Dende did.

* * *

><p>Erasa and Gohan were walking through the park. Erasa was <em>trying<em> to have fun, but Gohan was about as relaxed as a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory.

"So...do you have any brothers or sisters?" Erasa asked.

"Hm?" Gohan said. "Oh, yeah. One."

Silence reigned as Erasa waited for Gohan to elaborate. Gohan just looked around.

"Is that a brother or a sister?" Erasa asked.

"Huh?" Gohan said. "Could you...you repeat that?"

Erasa frowned. "Okay, look," she said. "What's wrong? You're acting weird."

"I normally act like this," Gohan said.

Erasa sighed. "Fine," she said. "Then let's just call this off. It's obvious you're not interested in me, and I don't think you're my type, anyway."

"Good," Gohan said. "I have to go back home and...what's a type?"

"Type?" Erasa said. "Like, romantic type?"

Gohan's face went pale. "You...you don't remember, do you?" he asked.

"Remember _what?_" Erasa asked. "Are you keeping some big secret from me?"

"No! Of course not!" Gohan said, but he didn't fool Erasa. It was obvious that he was lying.

"Then why did you want to see me?" Erasa asked. "And I want the truth."

"I...I...I didn't want to see you!" Gohan said. Then he gasped. "I didn't mean it that way!" he said. "I'm not trying to be rude! You're a nice girl, and I like you, but it's probably better if we don't know each other."

"That makes no sense, for like a hundred reasons," Erasa said. "If you want to avoid me, then why did you ask Videl to set up a meeting with me?"

"Ask Videl?" Gohan said. "I didn't ask Videl to set up a meeting with you! I told you, I didn't want to see you!"

"But Videl said that the boy in the park really wanted to see me!" Erasa said. "And don't you pretend that you don't know Videl, because I know you do!"

_She's kind of cute when she's angry,_ Gohan noted. The way her hair fell down on the left side as she scrunched her shoulders together...

Gohan shook his head. "I don't understand," he said. "Why would Videl say a boy wants to—oh. Oh!"

Gohan started chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Erasa asked.

"This is a misunderstanding," Gohan said. "She wasn't talking about me. She was talking about my friend, Dende."

"The green guy?" Erasa asked.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I think he's kind of...I don't know how to say it. But I get the sense that he still thinks about you a lot."

"Oh," Erasa said. The green guy _did _seem kind of into her. "Oh, wow. So _he _was the one who wanted to meet with me?"

"Yeah," Gohan said. "I mean, no offense, I don't mind talking with you. You're nice and pretty and everything. But I'm not trying to become your boyfriend."

"Jeez, now I feel stupid," Erasa said.

"I probably feel stupider," Gohan said. "Can we...start over?"

The conversation between Gohan and Erasa went a lot more smoothly after that, because Erasa knew Videl wasn't trying to set them up, and because Gohan knew Erasa wasn't trying to grill him for details about what happened six months ago. In other words, all the pressure was gone, so the two of them were able to be themselves around each other.

The two of them walked around the park for about forty minutes, talking about all sorts of things. Gohan was starting to remember why he had a kind of crush on Erasa, but he called an end to the conversation by the time they returned to their starting point.

"Well, I should probably get going now," Gohan said. "Thanks for talking to me, though. It's been really fun."

"Yeah, you're pretty cool!" Erasa said. "It's nice to talk to someone from out of town. You should come by and visit more often!"

"Um, no," Gohan said. "I live about two hours away from Hercule City."

"Oh, wow," Erasa said. "Then why'd you come here?"

"I told you, I had to meet with someone," Gohan said.

"Videl," Erasa said.

Gohan didn't respond, but his silence was enough of an answer.

"Why did you make a two-hour trip, just to see Videl?" Erasa asked.

"I can't say," Gohan said. "It's private, and I'm not going to see her again, so it doesn't really matter."

"Now I'm super curious," Erasa said.

"Then you can bug _her_ about it, not me," Gohan said. He half-chuckled at the thought. Someone trying to get information from Videl? Usually it was the other way around.

"Okay, but if you ever come by again, I demand to see you!" Erasa said, giving Gohan a hug. "Bye!"

"See ya!" Gohan said. He ran off towards the park exit, in hopes of finding an unpopulated area, so he could fly away without being seen.

"Wow, he runs fast," Erasa said, flipping open her cell phone. She was going to dial Videl's number, when a flash of green caught the corner of her eye.

She bent down and looked at the green thing. It was the book that Gohan had dropped earlier.

"What's this?" Erasa wondered. "The Official Guardian of Earth Book? That's weird..."


	17. A New Threat

It took two hours before Videl's curiosity forced her to call Erasa again.

"Hey, Viddy," Erasa said, picking up the phone.

"Hey, Erasa," Videl said. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have hung up on you."

"Don't be sorry," Erasa said. "I went to the park and talked to your mystery man, you know."

"You did?" Videl asked. "I thought you weren't—how did it go?"

"Oh my, Videl, it went _great!_" Erasa said. "Gohan is the best kisser in the world!"

"He...what?"

"That was the most passionate, intense thing I have ever experienced," Erasa said. "Thank you so much for introducing us."

_"WHAT?"_ Videl screeched.

"I just hope I don't get pregnant," Erasa said. "If I do, it was worth it, but still..."

_"ERASAAAAAAA!"_ Videl shouted.

Erasa broke down into a fit of giggles. "Gotcha!" she said. "We just talked, that's all."

"You are the worst best friend ever," Videl said.

"You tell me that five times a day," Erasa said. "But it's good you called. I've got some questions for you about the whole thing."

"Well, I've got questions for _you_," Videl said. "Tell me everything that happened."

"First, you tell me how you know Gohan," Erasa said. "And then you tell me why he made a two hour trip just to see you. And tell me why he seemed so secretive at first. Does he know something about me? I mean, he knew my name even before I introduced myself."

"That's...kind of a lot of questions," Videl said.

"Well, either you tell me, or I'll get the answers out of Gohan," Erasa said.

"How are you going to get answers out of him?" Videl asked. "He's gone!"

"He'll be back," Erasa said. "He left his weird book thingy here."

"Weird book thingy?" Videl asked.

"Yeah," Erasa said. She picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "It's got a weird title, and...woah."

"Woah?" Videl asked.

Erasa took a closer look at the book. According to the page number, she was on page 2042, but the book wasn't thick enough to have that many pages. And now that she was paying attention, whenever she flipped through some pages, she always seemed to be at the same spot in the book.

"It's...nothing," Erasa said. "His book is just really weird, that's all."

Videl frowned. She remembered Dende reading out of a book earlier that day. It seemed like the book had all sorts of biographical information about her father. Was that the book Erasa was talking about?

"It's got, like, a fifty page chapter on a museum in Sweden," Erasa said. "Jeez, I think this is a list of everyone who's been in the museum. That's crazy."

"Oh," Videl said. "Well, forget the book, then. Just tell me what happened."

"I went to the park after you called me," Erasa said. "Then I saw..."

* * *

><p>It took about fifteen minutes for Erasa to figure out how Dende's Official Guardian Book worked. It was basically the world's most comprehensive encyclopedia, and she could expand or shrink any entry for more or less detail.<p>

"I don't believe this," Erasa said. "How is this possible?"

The weirdest part was that there were entries on people. Erasa looked herself up in the book, and it had a ridiculous amount of information on her. She could look up a list of every single place she had ever been, ever. She could look up any conversation she'd had, and it would be printed there in full detail. She could look up every person she had ever met.

"Hmmm," Erasa said.

She expanded the section listing every person she had ever spoken with. The list could be sorted multiple ways, such as by length of conversation, date of conversation, total number conversations with that person, name of the person she spoke to, etc. She sorted the list by name, then looked for Gohan Son.

The book said that she met Gohan only once before, on the World Martial Arts Tournament. It also said that Gohan was a half-Saiyan, half-human fighter who was noteworthy for being the youngest Super Saiyan 2 ever, and for defeating the monster Cell.

"What?" Erasa asked. "But Videl's dad—he—right?"

Erasa read more about Gohan and her dealings with him on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament, but that only led to more and more questions. Who was Gohan, really? How was he strong enough to be able to give Videl a black eye? Did Videl's dad defeat Cell, or not?

It was the most confusing book that Erasa had ever read, and she was in an advanced high school English course that semester.

Erasa eventually figured out a trick to get whatever information she wanted from Dende's official Guardian of Earth book. She just looked herself up in the book (which had weird things to say about her genealogy), and went straight to the section that listed out everything she had ever done. At the very end of the list was a half-finished sentence.

_Erasa picked up the Guardian of Earth book and read..._

"About the lottery," Erasa said. Writing suddenly appeared on the page.

_Erasa picked up the Guardian of Earth book and read it to learn that the lottery numbers for tomorrow are 12, 13, 88, 62 and 93._

"Good to know," Erasa said, jotting those numbers down. She consulted the book again.

_Erasa read the Guardian of Earth book to learn..._

"About Sharpener," Erasa said. "Ooo, one of his secrets!"

_Erasa read the Guardian of Earth book to learn Sharpener's greatest secret: the fact that he is not a natural blonde._

"Duh!" Erasa said. "That's obvious." She returned to reading the book, only to be shocked when a new sentence appeared without any prompting.

_Erasa read the Guardian of Earth book to learn that she could play a crucial role in preventing the destruction of the universe at the hands of Majin Buu._

"What the—?" Erasa asked.

* * *

><p>In Other World, the Grand Kai was busy playing air guitar while hopping through his castle.<p>

"Doo do, doo dun dun, waaaaa waaa woooooo!" Grand Kai said, getting to what he thought was a particularly awesome solo.

"Will you _stop _that?" an irritated voice said.

"Huh, what?" Grand Kai asked. He adjusted his sunglasses, and looked up to see the unpleasant face of Kibito, staring down at him.

"Gack!" Grand Kai said. "Uh, yes sir! I'll be quiet, sir."

Grand Kai ran away, and Kibito returned to the room he just came out of. "He won't bother us any more with his loud noise," Kibito announced.

"Good work, Kibito," the Supreme Kai said. Supreme Kai was seated at a desk, going through some papers. "I swear, we need to appoint somebody else as the Grand Kai. I have to remember to bring it up at our next board meeting."

Kibito nodded, but inwardly, he sighed. Before Majin Buu attacked, Other World was such a nice place to live. After that, the Kais had ruined everything by setting up a dysfunctional bureaucracy.

Supreme Kai handed Kibito a stack of forty sheets of paper. "Kibito, I need you to make a hundred copies of these and send them to all the departments in Block CQS12-94/B for pre-approval of the distribution of Request Form 92683. Let me know as soon as they return the pre-approval approval forms."

"Yes, sir," Kibito said. He bowed, then left the room.

"Oh, and send in the Earthen employee, will you?" Supreme Kai asked. "It's time for his review!"

A few moments later, a nervous Dende stepped into the room. "You wanted to see me, Supreme Kai?" he asked.

"Ah, yes, you must be Kami, the Guardian of Earth," the Supreme Kai said. "Please, take a seat."

"My name is Dende, actually," Dende said.

"What?" Supreme Kai asked. "My records say that your name is Kami."

"Kami retired some time ago, sir," Dende said.

"I see," the Supreme Kai said. "Give me a few minutes, will you?"

Supreme Kai thought it was important to double-check the fact Kami had indeed retired, so he sent in a pre-request for a pre-memo pre-approval form, in hopes that he would be allowed to write a memo to the Planetary Guardian Overseeing Department. Unfortunately, the memo-approval subdepartment of the subdepartment of the retirement of planetary guardians ended up rejecting the fourteenth draft of the pre-memo, and so the final version was never sent.

"Very good," Supreme Kai said. "So, Dende. I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

"I am, sir," Dende said.

"I wanted to discuss an incident that occurred on your planet recently," Supreme Kai said. "At the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"That was six months ago," Dende said.

"And I think it could be important, which is why I'm responding to the situation so quickly," Supreme Kai said. "As soon as I heard that Babidi was involved, I decided I had to oversee matters personally."

"I...I see," Dende said.

"As I understand it, Babidi was making plans to bring back the monster, Majin Buu," Supreme Kai said. "Is this correct?"

"Majin Who?" Dende asked.

"You don't know who Majin Buu is?" Supreme Kai asked.

"Um...should I?" Dende asked.

"If you're dealing with Babidi, then yes," Supreme Kai said. "Resurrecting Majin Buu is the goal of Babidi's entire existence."

"Babidi...was the yellow bug thing, right?"

"The wizard of unspeakable evil!" Supreme Kai said.

"Yeah, the guy with the scratchy voice," Dende said. "I remember now. He was annoying."

"I need a complete report on Babidi's actions that day," Supreme Kai said. "The fate of the universe depends on it. If he was trying to resurrect Majin Buu..."

"Well, he never mentioned a Maxine Flu," Dende said. "He was just at the World's Martial Arts Tournament, trying to find some strong fighters."

"So, he's trying to build up an army..." Supreme Kai said.

"I don't know if that's true," Dende said. "In any case, he and his two fighters went rogue and started killing innocent bystanders. There ended up being a huge fight between them and the fighters at the tournament."

"Were there any survivors?" Supreme Kai asked.

"Everyone survived," Dende said. "Everyone except the yellow guy and his red sidekick. They were killed."

"Babidi and Dabura were killed?" Supreme Kai asked.

"Yep," Dende said. "Then we switched the planet's guardian twice so we could manipulate the dragonballs and make multiple wishes in a row. We used the wishes to bring back all the innocent people who died that day, and we erased the memories of pretty much everyone on the planet."

"Good," Supreme Kai said. "Better than good, that's _great!_ You single-handedly stopped Babidi!"

"Aw, it was nothing," Dende said.

"You should get a promotion!" Supreme Kai said. "How does becoming the new Grand Kai sound to you?"

"That's fantastic!" Dende said.

"My thoughts exactly," the Supreme Kai said. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Did you recover Majin Buu's egg?"

"An...egg?" Dende asked.

"It's vitally important that you recover the egg," Supreme Kai said. "We need to relocate it to somewhere safer. If Babidi was able to find it, maybe someone else will be able to find it."

"I'll do that right away!" Dende said.

"Excellent," Supreme Kai said. "And also, what did you do with Babidi's spaceship?"

"Spaceship?"

"Well, yes, Babidi has a spaceship full of his servants," the Supreme Kai said. "You stopped them too, right?"

"Uh..."

"Because if all you did was kill Babidi, his soldiers would still be out there, running around loose." The Supreme Kai chuckled. "Can you imagine what a horrible situation that would be? They'd probably try to avenge Babidi's death by killing you! Good thing you stopped them."

"Yes...I totally stopped them..." Dende said. A bead of sweat went down his head.

"That's good to hear," Supreme Kai said.

* * *

><p>The phone was ringing in the Son House, so Gohan went to answer it. The caller ID said it was from an unknown person. Gohan answered it, figuring it was a junk call.<p>

"Hi, Cutie!" the caller said in a cheerful voice.

"E-Erasa?" Gohan asked. "Is that _you?_"

"You recognized my voice!" Erasa said. "It's so sweet of you to remember me!"

"Well, sure, you're a hard person to forget," Gohan said. "I mean, you almost gave me a heart attack yesterday, and—"

"I need you to come back to town and meet with me and Videl," Erasa said. "It's urgent."

"Ah, but you live two hours away," Gohan said. "I can't just go there whenever I want to!"

"I know you can fly, Gohan," Erasa said. "You're half-Saiyan, right? You can make the trip in ten minutes."

_"How did you know that?" _Gohan asked. "Did Videl tell you? She did! She—wait, she doesn't know that. How do _you_ know?"

"You'll find out when you come here," Erasa said. "Now hurry up. The fate of the world depends on you."

"Understood," Gohan said seriously.

Erasa squealed. "Oooo, that's so cool!" she said. "I've always wanted to say something super-dramatic like that. _The fate of the world depends on you._ It's like we're in a movie!"

"Uh..." Gohan said.

"Anyway, get here soon, 'kay? See ya, cutie!"

Erasa hung up the phone, then stared at her poster of pink kittens for a moment before calling Videl.

* * *

><p>Videl arrived twelve minutes late, barging into Erasa's pink-plastered bedroom like she owned it.<p>

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I had to—you."

"Hi," Gohan said, lifting his hand in a half-wave. The deadly look that Videl was giving him caused a shiver to run down his spine.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Videl asked. "You said you'd never come back to town."

"I asked him to come here," Erasa said. "I asked _both_ of you to come here, because we have to save the world."

"Three teenagers, saving the world?" Videl asked. "What is this, a summer blockbuster? I'm out of here."

"Your father didn't kill Cell," Erasa said. "Gohan did."

Gohan frowned. So far, this meeting had "BIG TROUBLE" written all over it.

Videl stopped the doorway and turned around. She shot her deadly look at Erasa.

"Explain," she said simply.

Erasa pulled out the Guardian Book, which she had been hiding behind a pillow. "It's all in here."

"That's Dende's Guardian Book!" Gohan said. "How did you get—I left it behind in the park, didn't I?"

"You sure did," Erasa said. "You really shouldn't be so clumsy when it comes to important things like this."

"Is that the book your green friend had yesterday?" Videl asked. "The one with all sorts of information about my dad?"

"It has information about everyone in here," Erasa said. "Everyone, everything. And it's all 100% true."

"That's impossible," Videl said.

"Why don't you read what the book has to say about you?" Erasa said, flipping to a bookmarked page. It was a very convenient section in the chapter on Videl, containing a list of all the things that Videl never told anyone about.

Videl read through the list and flipped through several pages.

"This...I still say it's impossible," Videl said. "You must be following me or something. We've known each other forever. That's how you know this stuff."

"Dende's book is magic," Gohan said. "But what does the book have to do with saving the world?"

"It says that a monster named Majin Buu is going to appear soon," Erasa said. "The book says that he's killed millions of innocent people already. We have to stop him."

"Because your magic book says we're going to fight this Majibuu?" Videl asked.

"Well, no," Erasa said. "I'm pretty sure that the book can't tell the future. It only talks about what _might_ happen, not what _will_ happen."

"That's because humans have free will, so they can change the future," Gohan interjected, getting a tad philosophical for a discussion taking place in a room with posters of pink kittens.

"But if the book _doesn't_ predict the future, then how do you know this Majibuu monster will attack?" Videl asked.

"It's simple," Erasa said. "The book says that Babidi's minions are seven days away from bringing back Majin Buu, so he can destroy the entire universe."

"That's...not good," Gohan said.

"The book says that the only person on Earth who's stronger that Majin Buu is the demi-Saiyan," Erasa said, flipping a few pages in the book. "That's you, Gohan. You're the strongest person on Earth right now."

Gohan nodded, with some regret. Of _course_ there would be a huge threat to the planet while Vegeta was training in outer space.

"But the book also says you can't do it alone," Erasa said. "It says that your warrior girlfriend must accompany you."

"I thought the book doesn't talk about the future," Gohan said. "That's—warrior girlfriend?"

Videl closed her eyes and tried not to punch something. "I swear, if this whole story is just a stupid attempt to set me up with Gohan here..." she threatened.

"I don't _have_ a girlfriend!" Gohan said. "Mom says—well, I don't have one."

"It's not what you guys think!" Erasa said. "I'm not trying to make you two a couple! I was just using the book to look up information about Gohan's love life, that's all. I wanted to see if he was single, you know?"

"Let me get this straight," Videl said. "You claim that you have a magic book that can tell you anything about anyone, and you used it to scout out potential boyfriends."

"Yeah, but I used it to learn about this Majin Buu, too!" Erasa defended herself.

_The scary part is that this doesn't surprise me in the slightest_, Videl thought. _That's __exactly__ what Erasa would do._

"You're an idiot," Videl decided.

"Yeah, yeah, well, the book says that the best match for him is the teenage warrior," Erasa said. "She's thirteen, and she lives in our town. Sound familiar, Videl?"

"I refuse to believe that your magic book says I should date Gohan," Videl said. "Uh, no offense, Gohan."

"Um...none taken?" Gohan responded.

"It doesn't say you _have_ to date him," Erasa said. "It just says you'd make a great match together. And I kind of agree. You two could be a cute couple."

"Did the book say who _you'd_ be a good match with?" Videl asked.

Erasa muttered.

"What was that?"

"It said Sharpener, okay?" Erasa said.

"...And now we know the book isn't 100% accurate," Videl said. "Let's just go home and forget about it, then."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Gohan said. He didn't like this discussion about him and girlfriends. "If you could give me back that book, I'll return it to Dende and—"

A booming voice filled the room. _Gohan! Gohan! Can you hear me?_

"Dende?" Gohan asked. "We were just talking about you. We found your guardian book."

_Forget about that book_, Dende said. _We've got bigger problems._

"Where is that voice coming from?" Erasa asked.

"I don't know," Videl said.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

_We need to stop a monster called Majin Buu_, Dende said. _My promotion depends on it!_

"Majin Buu?" Gohan asked.

"Who's wrong _now?_" Erasa asked, smugly.


	18. Training

So it was decided. Gohan, Videl and Erasa would be the three thirteen-year-olds who would save the world from the evil Majin Buu, when he appeared in a week's time. Our heroes knew they weren't yet strong enough to win. No, first, they had to undergo intense preparation. They needed...a training montage!

***Insert training music here***

Our heroes went to the field at Orange Star High, to begin their training.

"First, let's work on our attacks," Gohan said. "You need to learn how to punch properly."

Gohan demonstrated a basic punch. Videl followed his example perfectly, while Erasa messed up. She tried again and again, swinging her fists around in all directions.

Then Erasa accidentally bopped Videl in the ear. Videl responded by hitting Erasa several times. Erasa screamed in pain.

"Videl, stop hitting your teammates!" Gohan reprimanded.

"What?" Videl said. "I was just trying to show her the right way to punch, that's all."

Gohan sighed. They had a long way to go.

* * *

><p>"4998, 4999, 5000!" Gohan said, finishing his sit-ups. "Okay, good warmup, everyone! Now, let's do 5000 pushups!"<p>

Videl glared at Gohan. She had stopped after 200 sit-ups. Erasa had collapsed from exhaustion, and she was now taking a nap.

"Um...on second thought, maybe not," Gohan corrected.

* * *

><p>"Okay, flying lessons," Gohan said. "I've never taught anyone to fly before, but I'm sure it can't be that hard."<p>

"This is going to be so cool," Erasa whispered to Videl.

"The way to fly is by manipulating your energy in a particular way," Gohan said. "Inside your body, you can feel your energy."

"_Excuse_ me?" Videl asked. "Who are _you_, to be talking about _my_ body?"

Gohan's face turned red. "Erm...er..."

Erasa raised her hand, like they were in school. "You can talk about _my_ body if you want!" she said. "You think I'm prettier than Videl, right?"

"Um...let's just get back to the lesson," Gohan said quickly. "So, you have energy inside your body. It's like...this power which is flowing through you, and it can become stronger or weaker depending on what you do."

Here, Erasa made an inappropriate joke about bodies, and Videl burst into laughter.

"Erasa, are you _trying_ to disrupt the lesson?" Gohan asked angrily. "Stop interrupting, or I won't teach you how to fly!"

"Ah, come on!" Erasa said. "Learning to fly can't be _that_ hard, can it? I bet it'll take ten minutes, tops!"

* * *

><p><em>Two hours later<em>

The flying lessons weren't going so well.

"This is stupid!" Videl complained. "It's impossible! Energy-building-whatever? I can't do it!"

"It's not impossible," Gohan said. "Look, I'll show you again. Watch my hands closely as I call up the energy ball."

"I've seen you do this twenty times!" Videl asked. "For whatever reason, _my_ hands can't call up an energy ball!"

"Hmmm..." Gohan said. "Let me try something else."

Gohan stepped behind Videl and wrapped his arms around her body. She yelped as he put his hands on the outside of her hands.

"Maybe you'll get a better sense for it if you feel me do it," Gohan said. "Close your eyes and focus on your hands now."

Videl closed her eyes, but she couldn't focus on just her hands. Instead, she was focusing on the feel of Gohan's body against hers, in an attempt to deal with his total invasion of her personal space.

"Hey, guys!" Erasa said, lugging a plastic bag behind her. "I'm back!"

Videl's eyes snapped open. "Erasa!" she said. Videl stepped forward, right into the small energy ball that Gohan had created.

"OW!" Videl yelped. "That [bad word] hurt, Gohan, you [bad word]!"

"...Was I interrupting something?" Erasa asked.

"No," Gohan said. "What's up?"

"I bought us uniforms," Erasa said. She pulled a green TMNT shirt out of her bag. "We're TMNT: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Team! I'm the teenager, Gohan's the mutant half-alien, and Videl is the ninja fighter!"

"Not all martial artists are ninjas," Videl said.

"I'm not a mutant!" Gohan said.

"They were half-price, so we're wearing them!" Erasa said. "We'll look so cool in our matching outfits!"

"Could you even _try_ to take this seriously?" Videl asked.

"Sure," Erasa said. She put her hands up to the sky. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Team Powers, activate!"

Erasa began to float a few feet up in the air.

"Wow, that's great!" Gohan said.

"NO [bad word] WAY!" Videl said. "How did you learn that, when you weren't even _here?_"

"I read about it in the magic book," Erasa said. "The section on me and learning how to fly had all sorts of personalized tips, which made it super easy. I can even shoot the fireball thingies!"

Erasa charged up an energy ball and threw it at Gohan. He was very impressed.

"Wow, you're the fastest learner I've ever met!" Gohan said. "At this rate, we'll be ready to destroy Majin Buu in two days, not a whole week! You're the best, Erasa!"

Erasa winked. "Thanks, Cutie!" she said. "Maybe we should have _private_ training lessons together. You don't want Videl to slow me down, do you?"

"Well..." Gohan said. "It seems unfair to leave out one of our team members, but I guess you have a point..."

"Erasa, can I talk to you for a moment?" Videl asked.

"Sure," Videl said. She flew over to Videl and landed. "What's up?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Videl asked. "I'm the martial artist, not you! Back off!"

"Woah, jealous much?" Erasa asked. "It's not _my_ fault that I'm finally better than you at something."

"You're not better than me!" Videl said. "I've been fighting for years, and you've only been fighting for three hours!"

"Then why is it that I can fly, and you can't?" Erasa asked. "Face it, Videl. Compared to me, you're nothing."

"This isn't a competition!" Videl asked. "We're supposed to be friends, helping each other!"

"This is _so_ a competition," Erasa said. "We're competing to see who can get Gohan's eye first."

"I—wait—what?"

"The book says that Gohan's perfect match is a warrior girlfriend, right?" Erasa said. "That's why I'm training to become a warrior! Gohan's too good of a catch to pass up!"

"You don't care about saving the world!" Videl accused. "You don't even care about martial arts! You just want a boyfriend!"

"Yes, and what's your point?" Erasa said.

Videl growled then pounced on Erasa. As Videl started punching, Erasa started crying out, "Ow! Hey, it was just a joke! No need to—OWWWW!"

Erasa pushed Videl off, and then she flew up into the air, six feet off the ground. That put her well out of Videl's reach. "Jeez, you're in a bad mood," Erasa said. "Just because you're not as good at learning martial arts as I am doesn't mean you have to be mean about it."

"Oh, that is _it!_" Videl said. "You—you're—ARRRGH!"

Videl's anger built up inside of her, and she instinctively started powering up. Gohan was going to interrupt and talk about her energy level when Videl shoved all the energy underneath her and she flew forward, right into Erasa.

"Oh, [bad word]!" Erasa said, as Videl renewed her attack. Videl didn't even seem to realize that she was in midair. She was too focused on punishing Erasa.

"Videl, stop!" Erasa said.

Videl threw her hands together and gathered her energy, charging up a large energy ball. "See how you like _this!"_ Videl screamed, sounding rather deranged.

Videl let the energy ball lose, but in her inexperience, she did it wrong. The energy ball flew backwards, right at Videl. She fell backwards, out of the sky and smashed on the ground.

"Ouch," Gohan said. "Videl, are you okay?"

"Uh..." Videl said.

"What about me?" Erasa asked. "She tried to kill me!"

"You've both made great progress," Gohan said. "But maybe we should take a break for a bit, before someone gets hurt."

"Too late for that," Erasa muttered.

* * *

><p>Day Two of training was a complete failure. Gohan went around the world, trying to find the other Z Fighters. Krillin and Android 18 were married, Yamcha was retired, and Tien was nowhere to be found. Really, the only other Z Fighter besides Gohan was Piccolo, and Dende made Gohan swear not to tell Piccolo about Majin Buu.<p>

Dende had some official reason, and it had to deal with the fact that Piccolo used to be the Earth's Guardian, but Gohan wasn't convinced that ignoring Piccolo was a good idea.

On Day Three of training, Hercule came to help. He spent most of the time bragging about his World Championship Belt, and he didn't really teach our heroes any worthwhile fighting techniques.

On Day Four of training, Gohan went into the woods and met a girl named Lime. They had adventures involving a fallout shelter. I'm not sure why they spent a whole episode on this story, but they did.

On Day Five of training, Gohan had the smart idea of using the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, so they could do more training. It worked really well for the first four hours. Then our teenage friends learned that all three of them were expected to use the same bathroom and bathing area for a year. They left after that.

On Day Six of training, our heroes rested, the lazy bums.

Finally, it was the seventh day: the day that they would fight Majin Buu.

* * *

><p>"This is it," Gohan said. "This is the day we've been waiting for. It's the day when we fight Majin Buu."<p>

Videl was inclined to make a sarcastic comment, but the grim look on Gohan's face discouraged her.

"You've learned a lot over the past week," Gohan said. "I just hope that will be enough, because if we fail, the entire world will be destroyed in an instant. Majin Buu will use his Human Extinction Technique to kill everyone."

"Actually, my book says that he's going to get really hungry and then turn the planet into a large gumball," Erasa said. "I think the book might be broken, though."

"Um, right," Gohan said. "Anyway, we're the Earth's last hope, so we can't fail! Now let's go to the bad guys' spaceship and destroy Majin Buu!"

"Yeah!" Erasa said.

"Yeah!" Videl said.

"You guys are totally going to win!" Dende said happily.

"Eeeeeeeek!" Erasa said. "It's the monster! Kill it!"

"No, Erasa, I'm not—" Dende started to say, as Erasa attacked him. Her fighting technique had improved under Gohan's guidance, but she still wasn't one of Earth's top fighters, by any stretch of the imagination.

"AAAAAAA!" Dende cried.

"Woah, Erasa, stop!" Gohan said. He put his arms around her body and pulled he back. "That's not Majin Buu! That's Dende!"

Erasa sighed and leaned backwards into Gohan. "It's _sooo_ nice to be in your strong arms," she said.

"Quit flirting with Gohan," Videl ordered.

"Yeah, flirt with _me!_" Dende said. "I'd make a much better boyfriend than him!"

Videl scoffed at the idea, while Erasa laughed. Dende hung his head sadly. Not for the first time, Gohan wondered if this group of mismatched heroes could possibly stop Majin Buu.

"Why are you here, Dende?" Gohan asked politely.

"As the Guardian of Earth, it is my duty to accompany you in your battle," Dende said. "And by that, I mean I'll be watching from the Lookout the whole time."

"Um, thanks?" Gohan asked.

"Don't mention it," Dende said. He pulled out a small bag. "Also, I brought six senzu beans for you. That's two for each of you."

"Great!" Gohan said.

"What's a senshoe beam?" Videl asked.

"It's a magic bean that refills all of your energy and heals your wounds," Gohan said. "If anyone is near death, they should eat one of these."

"D-death?" Erasa asked. "You...you mean someone is going to _die?"_

"Well, I _hope_ no one dies, but it's a possibility," Gohan said. "Majin Buu has killed millions of people already, and the first thing he's going to do is try to kill us."

"Oh..." Erasa said. She made a small whimpering sound. Training with Gohan and Videl was a fun way to spend a week, but now that she was faced with the possibility of imminent death, things didn't seem as fun anymore.

"You can back out now, if you want," Videl offered. "I mean, you're the only one here without any real fighting experience. This might be too much for you."

"No...no, I can do this," Erasa said. "Even if I'm not a good fighter, I don't think I could stand by and do nothing while my two best friends risked their lives for me."

Gohan frowned, as he remembered his first battle. Nappa and Vegeta attacked the Z-Fighters, but instead of fighting them, Gohan was completely frozen in shock and fear. Piccolo died because Gohan did nothing. What if Erasa did something similar?

"...Gohan?" Dende asked.

Gohan shook his head. "Sorry about that," he said. "I spaced out for a bit there. What is it?"

"I, um...I don't know how to say this, but Fortuneteller Baba predicted that one of you will die in the battle," Dende said.

"Oh, [bad word]," Videl said.

"She said something like '_The lover's death will spur the demi-Saiyan to victory_'," Dende said. "She seems to think that you can't access your hidden powers unless someone you care about dies."

"Just like with Cell..." Gohan said, thinking of Android 16's sacrifice.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Captain Cheerful," Videl said sarcastically. "Any _other_ bad news you want to give to us? Let me guess, the one who doesn't die will contract a deadly disease."

"I can take care of any deadly diseases!" Erasa said, holding up the Guardian of Earth book. "My uncle contracted a deadly heart virus three days ago, so I looked up the cure in the book. The doctors say that the antidote worked so well that they want to try manufacturing it as a new drug on the market!"

"Give me back my official guardian book!" Dende ordered. "You shouldn't have taken it in the first place!"

"Awh," Erasa said, but she gave up the book anyway.

* * *

><p>After the meeting with Dende, our three heroes flew off to the area where Babidi's spaceship was.<p>

"Okay, I know Dende had bad news for us about Majin Buu, but the _good_ news is that Buu hasn't come back yet," Gohan said. "Maybe we can get to the bad guys and stop them before they resurrect Buu."

"Wait, you're saying that the bad guys haven't brought Majin Buu back yet?" Videl asked.

"Exactly," Gohan said.

"But...if that's true, why didn't we just storm their fortress yesterday and kill them all before they could bring back Buu?" Videl asked.

"I..." Gohan said. "Oh, crud. We should have done that. _Why didn't you mention that sooner?"_

"I thought Buu was already here!" Videl said. "He just wasn't going to _attack_ in seven days!"

"Oh, man!" Gohan said. "Okay, okay, let's hurry up, then! We have to get to the bad guys as quickly as possible!"

"Nothing will stop us!" Videl said.

"Guys!" a voice from behind them whined. "Wait up! You fly too fast for me!"

Gohan and Videl stopped in midair, as Erasa caught up to them.

"Can't you go faster?" Gohan asked.

"My eyes hurt!" Erasa said. "I can't fly this fast without being hurt by the wind!"

"You're just not used to flying this quickly," Gohan said. "You'll adjust in time. We can fly more slowly until then."

"No, we have to speed up and kill Buu!" Videl said.

"We can't leave one of our team members behind," Gohan said. "Especially when our team is so small. We don't know how many enemies we'll be fighting. There could be a hundred fighters on that ship!"

"And one of us is going to die!" Erasa whimpered. "Why couldn't your dad have gone instead of me? I don't want to die!"

"It's okay, Erasa," Gohan said. "I'll be there to protect you."

"And I'll be there to whip you into shape if you try to wimp out on us," Videl said.

"You two are the best friends ever!" Erasa said.


	19. The Fight With Buu

There were only three enemies on Babidi's spaceship. Their names were Fui-Fui, Pui-Pui and Bob. Bob was the leader of the group; he had taken control shortly after the ship's computer informed them that Babidi and Dabura were killed by fighters named Videl and Vegeta.

None of the three aliens knew how to fly the spaceship, so they were stuck on Earth. Bob decided that, given the circumstances, their best course of action was to continue Babidi's plot of resurrecting Majin Buu.

"Majin Buu probably knows how to fly this ship," Bob said. "He'll help us get back to our planet!"

It was a dumb idea, with deadly consequences. They found Buu's hidden egg within a week, and they deposited in the energy tank. All the energy given off during the fights at the World Martial Arts Tournament—particularly the near-deaths of Gohan and Piccolo—filled Majin Buu's energy tank to about a quarter full. Every day, the aliens filled the tank with a little more energy.

How?

You'll find out.

"Almost there," Gohan said, checking the GPS system that Bulma had given him. "We're only five miles away."

"We're at West City," Videl noted.

"That doesn't make sense," Erasa said. "The aliens are living here in town?"

Our heroes flew on in silence, until the GPS beeped.

"We're here!" Gohan said. He landed on the ground. "Look around for aliens, everyone!"

"This is the business district," Erasa said. "Did they come here to shop or something?"

"Hey, look at that!" Videl said, pointed to a small store with a large banner in front. The banner read _The Buu Energy Stealers. _"Isn't that suspicious?"

"Good eye," Gohan said. "Let's go in."

Our heroes crossed the street. As they got closer, they were able to read the signs in the window of the store. _Have all your energy drained in just seconds!_ read one sign. _It's the same as a four-hour workout, in almost no time at all!_

"This _has_ to be the place," Gohan said. Our heroes stepped inside, and they found that the store was divided into thirds by makeshift walls.

"Welcome to the Buu Energy Stealers," said a pleasant receptionist. "You're here to have your energy drained? There's plenty of room for you on our schedule!"

"Uh..." Gohan said.

"It's only twenty dollars," the receptionist said. "It takes four seconds, and it leaves you completely exhausted. You'll love it!"

"Why on Earth would anyone _want_ to be exhausted?" Videl asked.

"Health reasons!" the receptionist said. "90% of our regular customers have had significant weight loss, because the procedure burns through energy so quickly! Why, it's almost like we're _stealing_ the energy right out of your bodies! But don't worry; the biggest steal here is our low, low prices!"

The receptionist laughed.

"I don't like this," Erasa said. "I'm sensing some really weird vibes from this place."

"Me too," Gohan said. To the receptionist, he asked, "Can we look around a bit?"

"There's not much to see," the receptionist said. She took them to the area where the energy-draining procedures occurred. It had three comfy chairs in it, all connected to a large computer. "You just sit in one of these chairs, and the doctor starts the procedure. You stay in the chair until you're ready to leave."

"What about the back area?" Videl asked.

"That's where the owners live," the receptionist said. "No one's allowed in there."

"No one, huh?" Videl asked. "I bet that's where the aliens are."

Gohan nodded. "I can sense their energy. Whoever's inside there is definitely not human."

"Excuse me?" the receptionist asked. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"THIS!" Erasa shouted. "KA-ME-HA-ME-HEY!"

Nothing happened.

"It's Kamehame_ha_," Gohan said.

"Oh, whatever," Erasa said. She charged up an energy ball and destroyed the wall. The alien spaceship became clearly visible.

"You can't do that—ALIEN!" the receptionist screamed, as Fui-Fui, Pui-Pui and Bob came out to investigate.

"Our cover is ruined," Fui-Fui noted.

"Great, now we'll have to kill these humans to prevent them from telling anyone about us," Pui-Pui said.

"Evil aliens!" Erasa said. "We know you're planning on resurrecting Majin Buu! Surrender peacefully, or else!"

"What the—who are you?" Fui-Fui asked. "How do you know about Majin Buu?"

"We are Earth's Special Defenses," Gohan said. "We are...the Z-Fighters!"

"We're the strongest warriors on our planet, and we're not about to let some aliens stop us!" Videl said.

"The strongest fighters on Earth?" Bob asked. "Ha! This is a planet of weaklings! We've been sucking the energy out of dozens of Earthlings every day for months now, and Majin Buu's energy meter is still only 70% full! You can't even _hope _to stop us! Fui-Fui, kill them!"

"With pleasure," Fui-Fui said. He stepped forward and grinned at the Z-Fighters.

"I'll fight him," Erasa volunteered. She wasn't trying to be brave by going first; she wanted to go first because she knew that first fighter is usually the weakest.

"So you'll be first to die," Fui-Fui said. "Too bad for you!"

Erasa ran forward, ready to give Fui-Fui a kick to his large head. But Erasa was too slow when she stopped and swung her foot around. Fui-Fui ducked under the attack and hit her on the side. Erasa fell over.

"Ow, you creep!" Erasa said. She jumped back up and started punching. Fui-Fui was able to block the first four punches, but Erasa hit him in the chin with the fifth one. Fui-Fui counter-attacked and knocked her over again.

"Her defense is sloppy," Videl said. "Her attacks aren't much better."

Fui-Fui grabbed Erasa's arm and tossed her into the air. Instead of smashing into the ceiling and falling to the ground, Erasa used her flying skills to hover in midair, near the ceiling.

"What the—?" Fui-Fui said.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Erasa said loudly, charging up her energy and firing a Kamehameha attack at Fui-Fui. The attack was much too weak to kill Fui-Fui, mainly because Erasa didn't do it correctly.

"That's it," Fui-Fui said. "You're dead."

He quickly flew up to Erasa. Before she could react, he grabbed her leg and smashed her against the ceiling, then the wall, then he threw her to the floor. Erasa didn't get up after that.

"Erasa!" Gohan said. "Videl, give her a senzu, quick!"

Fui-Fui was going to gloat, but Gohan charged in, trying to avenge Erasa. He killed Fui-Fui with three solid punches to the forehead.

Videl knelt near Erasa, and put the bean inside her friend's mouth. "Don't be dead, don't be dead," Videl said. "Swallow the magic bean..."

The near-dead Erasa swallowed instinctively, and after a second, her eyes shot open. The blood on Erasa's face disappeared, and she sat up.

"I...I'm alive!" Erasa said.

"Not for long!" Bob said. "Pui-Pui, KILL!"

"I'm twice as strong as that weakling, Fui-Fui," Pui-Pui said. "Die, Earthling!"

Pui-Pui charged Gohan, and Gohan counter-attacked. The two of them began to trade blows with some intensity, until Gohan decided he had warmed up enough, and he killed Pui-Pui with a swift kick and energy attack combo.

"Two down, one to go," Gohan said. "We'll be able to stop them from resurrecting Buu, no problem."

"Don't be so confident," Bob said. "I'm stronger that Fui-Fui and Pui-Pui combined! Everyone on my home planet fears the all-powerful BOB!"

"Yeah? Well, too bad we're not on your home planet anymore," Gohan said. "I hope you're—"

"Wait!" Videl cried. "Stop!"

The fighters stopped the pre-fight banter and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" Gohan asked.

"You're hogging all the bad guys!" Videl said. "Let me fight this one!"

Erasa nodded. "Yeah, Videl should have a chance to fight," she said.

"Vi-vi-vi-VIDEL?" Bob shrieked. "The one who killed Babidi?"

"That's me," Videl said. She gave them her best intense face. "You sure you want to mess with me?"

Bob curled up into a little ball. "I surrender!" he said. "Don't kill me!"

"Ha!" Videl laughed. The fight hadn't even started, and her reputation as a Babidi-killer had spooked Babidi's minion. "If you give up Majin Buu quietly, _maybe _I'll let you live."

"Fine!" Bob said. "I...I'll get Majin Buu's egg. It's right over here. Just don't hurt me!"

Bob waddled over towards the computer/energy draining device in the room. He typed in a few commands, and the wall next to the computer retracted, revealing the large egg that the computer was connected to.

"Majin Buu is in there," Bob said. "Just take the egg, destroy it, and leave us alone!"

"All right, we did it!" Erasa said. "High five to us!"

"That was easy," Videl remarked.

Then Bob typed a few _more_ commands on the computer. A loud hum filled the room, and the Z-Fighters suddenly collapsed.

"Fools!" Bob said. "Did you _really_ think you could stop me, when my energy-draining device is right here? Your energy will fuel Majin Buu's resurrection!"

"No!" Gohan said, but he could feel the energy being sucked out of his body. He stumbled forward and punched the machine into pieces, but it was too late. Gohan's large energy had been stolen from him and given to Majin Buu.

"Ha!" Bob said. "Let me see, do I kill you in your now-weakened state, or do I wait for Majin Buu to kill you for me. Hmmm...decisions, decisions..."

Fortunately, our heroes still had senzu beans. Gohan popped one in his mouth, then jumped to his feet. Videl and Erasa did the same.

"Augh!" Bob said. He tried typing on his computer again, but the machine was broken. Before Bob could run away in fear, the giant pink egg opened, and Majin Buu stepped out.

"BUUUUUUUUU!" Majin Buu said.

"_That's_ Majin Buu?" Erasa asked. "_That's_ the monster who will destroy the universe?"

Majin Buu began playing with his belly button.

"...I think we might have gotten worked up over nothing," Videl said.

"Just because he looks harmless doesn't mean he _is_ harmless," Gohan said. "He's got a lot of energy. I can sense it."

"Buu!" Bob ordered. "Kill Videl, the slayer of Babidi!"

"Wha?" Buu said. "Kill who?"

"The cocky idiot with the stupid black hair," Bob said.

"Yes! Buu kill!" Majin Buu said, jumping up and down. He then charged Gohan. "DIE!"

"The _other_ idiot with black hair!" Bob said.

"Oh, Buu sorry," Buu apologized to Gohan. "Videl die now! Die!"

Buu stretched out his pink arms across the room and grabbed Videl's neck. With a sickening crunch, he twisted her neck backwards, killing her instantly. Videl's dead body collapsed to the ground.

"No!" Erasa cried. "Videl!"

"NO!" Gohan said.

"What Buu do now?" Buu asked.

"VIDELLLLLL!" Gohan shouted. Debris from the ground floated upwards as Gohan powered up, and his hair turned yellow.

"I will destroy you for that!" Gohan shouted, his voice sounding deeper than usual. He flew at Majin Buu and began attacking.

Poor Erasa had to take a half-minute to process what was going on. Videl's death. Gohan becoming a blonde. Fighting so fast that she could barely keep track of what was going on.

"The lover's death will spur the half-Saiyan to victory..." Erasa said to herself. "Videl's sacrifice is leading Gohan to win, because Gohan's love for Videl is stronger than Majin Buu."

But even though that was very romantic (and tragic), Erasa couldn't help but notice a problem with the scenario. Gohan wasn't winning the battle.

"You big hair look silly!" Majin Buu said happily.

"Why don't my attacks weaken you?" Gohan said, panting slightly.

Buu puffed out his chest, filling in all the dents that Gohan's punches had left. "Buu have big hole filler! No one strong enough to hurt Buu for good!"

"Then try _THIS!_" Gohan yelled, firing a strong energy attack directly at Buu's head. The attack connected, and the top three-fourths of Buu's head was completely obliterated.

"Yes!" Erasa cried.

Then the pink goo that Buu was made of started congealing, and Buu's head grew back, good as new. Erasa gasped, while Gohan groaned in frustration.

"Buu's turn!" Majin Buu said. He fired a strong energy attack directly at Gohan's head. Gohan held up his arms to block it, but the attack went right through Gohan's arms and hit his head.

Suddenly, Gohan didn't have a head anymore.

"Gohan!" Erasa said. "GOOOOHAN!"

Gohan's body fell over, dead.

"No!" Erasa said. "No no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Something snapped inside of Erasa, and she lost all control. Her power level skyrocketed, and her pupils disappeared. Her muscles became more defined, and her forehead became elongated. Her already-long hair stretched down farther, reaching the ground.

Fortuneteller Baba's prediction had come true. The lover's death _did _spur the half-Saiyan on to victory.

Erasa had become the world's first Super Saiyan Three.

* * *

><p><em>Completely Ridiculous Explanation for How Erasa is Part-Saiyan<br>Because Obviously, She Has Been in Super Saiyan Form This Whole Time  
>It's Just That No One Noticed It Until Now.<em>

Er...I mean...

_Thirteen Years Earlier..._

Even though he was the only remaining member of the royal Saiyan bloodline, Vegeta did not own a throne room. The closest thing he had was the commander's chair in one of Frieza's ten-man spaceships.

When dealing with other Saiyans, Vegeta tried to have the meetings take place there. He liked to keep up the appearance of a powerful ruler, even if being the Saiyan Prince meant almost nothing now that the race was near extinction. Vegeta is nothing without his pride, after all.

"Prince Vegeta!" Turles said, bowing before Vegeta's makeshift throne. "I bring good news!"

"Turles," Vegeta said. "What is it?"

"I finally found a way to continue the Saiyan race," Turles said. "Our species does not have to die out."

Vegeta stood up quickly. "You found a female Saiyan?" he asked.

"No," Turles said. "But after twenty years of searching and fifteen failed pregnancies, I finally managed to find an alien species that is capable of bearing our young. It is with great pride that I announce my daughter Erasa was born last week, and she is completely healthy."

"Your daughter," Vegeta said. "And she's..."

"A half-Saiyan, yes," Turles said. "This is a great—"

"Fool!" Vegeta said. "We need _full-blooded_ Saiyans, otherwise our bloodline will die out completely!"

"But Lord Vegeta, think about it!" Turles said. "You are a full-blooded Saiyan, and my daughter is half-Saiyan. If you were to mate with her, the offspring would be three-fourths Saiyan! And if Nappa or Radditz mated with _that_ child, the offspring would be seven-eighths Saiyan! It's our best chance for repropagating the species!"

"What is?" Vegeta asked. "Mating with aliens, then inbreeding? _That's _how you intend to save the Saiyans? You disgust me."

"This is the only way!" Turles said. "We are the only four Saiyans left! You can't—"

"Silence!" Vegeta said. "I sent you to find one of the lost Saiyan children! Maybe as many as fifty of them are still alive! Why haven't you tracked them down yet?"

"Those records were destroyed along with the Planet Vegeta," Turles said. "There's no way we can determine which Saiyan children were sent where!"

"Search the planets with high energy sources and large-enough moons," Vegeta said. "Or is that too complicated for you?"

"There are billions of planets!" Turles said. "I can't search planet by planet, hoping to get lucky! It took me long to find a species that we are capable of mating with, so I say we start repopulating now!"

Vegeta scowled. He would have killed Turles for his insolence, except there were no other Saiyans to take Turles' place.

"Meet me in two days," Vegeta said. "I have to discuss this with Nappa and Raditz."

"Of course," Turles said, bowing again. "You are a kind and gracious ruler, Prince Vegeta."

* * *

><p>Two days later, when Turles returned, he was surprised to see Vegeta looking happy. This was remarkable, because no one had claimed to see the Saiyan Prince smile in over ten years.<p>

"Ah, Turles," Vegeta said. "I have good news!"

"Nappa and Raditz approved of my suggestion?" Turles asked.

"I didn't talk to them," Vegeta said.

"What?" Turles asked.

"You see, Turles, I ordered you to search every planet of the universe that could possibly be the home of a Saiyan," Vegeta said. "And when the Saiyan Prince gives you orders, you obey them. Understand?"

"I understand, but surely you—"

"Silence," Vegeta said. "As for your daughter...Erunda, was it? You'll be happy to know that she'll be raised in the grand Saiyan tradition. I just had her sent off to a far distant planet in an unknown galaxy."

"WHAT?" Turles asked. "You can't—"

Vegeta grinned. "And now, let me repeat my orders. You are to go searching from planet to planet, looking for any and all Saiyans you might find. If you're lucky, one of them might be the planet with your daughter on it, although I doubt it."

Turles ground his teeth in anger, and he left abruptly, not saying anything. The bitterness and rage that grew in Turles' heart that day would eventually consume him. He ended up leaving Frieza's armies and became a lone wolf, with a small crew of fighters.

Turles searched the universe, looking for planets that could possibly have Saiyan residents. He destroyed or sold the other planets he found. But it was on one fateful day that he recovered a small piece of data from a broken Saiyan computer. The computer only had the names of three children and where they were sent. Chalmat, on Planet Hyperion. Almadore, on Frieza Planet 22. Kakarott, on Planet Earth.

Turles visited each of these planets in turn. On the first planet, he searched for three weeks until he found the grave of the Saiyan, who had died at age ten. One the second planet, he searched for ten weeks until it became obvious that the Saiyan child had died under unknown circumstances. The only thing worthwhile that Turles had found on that planet was a seed of might.

Lastly, Turles went to visit Earth. Radditz had already beaten him to this planet, and Turles knew that Radditz and Kakarott killed each other near-simultaneously. But Earth was already inputted into Turles' navigation systems, and besides, he was looking forward to seeing if he could use the seed of might on this planet.

Turles' visit to Earth resulted in his death, at the hands of Goku. Tragically, Turles never knew that the planet he died on was the planet his long-lost daughter had been sent to.

* * *

><p>The baby Erasa landed on Earth, in the middle of the woods. She was eventually found by a woman who was out hiking. She picked up the child and she immediately said, "EEEEEEE! THAT BABY HAS A TAIL!"<p>

The woman dropped Erasa and ran away, screaming. Baby Erasa landed headfirst on the ground, and the fall conveniently erased all of her Saiyan memories, just like with baby Goku.

Some wolves entered the clearing, drawn by the sound of screaming. They attacked Baby Erasa, who instinctively reached inside herself and became a Super Saiyan. The wolves ran away, scared. Meanwhile, the hiker returned with her husband.

"It was right here!" the hiker said. "The baby had a tail!"

"I don't see—oh, there he is," the husband said. He looked at Erasa for a moment. "You're right, it looks like he _does_ have a tail."

He picked up Erasa to get a better look. Erasa giggled happily. "Aw, he's a happy baby! Aren't you, little guy? Er, girl."

The hiker scratched her head. She could have sworn the baby had black hair a few moments ago. But now, the child with the tail had blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"She's kind of cute," the hiker agreed. "Let's take her with us and report it to the ranger."

To make a long story short, the couple ended up adopting Baby Erasa after several months of searching for her real parents. They called her "Erasa", because that was the name inscribed on the weird circular pod device that the police found near the area Erasa came from.

Goku and Gohan had once tried to be Super Saiyans all the time. They succeeded in keeping the Super Saiyan form for a little over three weeks. Erasa, on the other hand, had been a Super Saiyan for over twelve years, without ever realizing it. She was so used to it that she thought it was her normal form. Thanks to the bump on her head as a baby, she instinctively suppressed her Saiyan powers, and she was able to live as a normal human.

Her Saiyan instincts came through once in a while. She was able to tell that Gohan was holding back at the World Martial Arts Tournament. She was able to learn how to fly much more quickly than Videl. And she was inexplicably attracted to Gohan.

The dam in Erasa's head burst as she fought Majin Buu. Suddenly, her Saiyan instincts came through, all at once. Erasa was overwhelmed, and it felt like she was having an out-of-body experience as she fought Majin Buu. All of her punches connected, and in her fury, she literally ripped Buu into pieces.

The pieces of Majin Buu started to reform, but Erasa started blowing them up. This went on for about a minute, but more and more pieces just started appearing. Finally, Erasa threw all of her power into a _Kamehameha_ attack, and she launched it right at the biggest piece of Buu. The attack went through Buu and into the ground. Everything within a two hundred foot radius was completely destroyed, including the bodies of some innocent bystanders.

_Did I just do that?_ Erasa wondered before she landed on the ground.


	20. In Heaven

**Author's Note: **We'll return to Erasa and what happened with Majin Buu in Chapter 22. For now, we have two chapters about Gohan and Videl, in Other World.

* * *

><p><em>In Other World...<em>

Videl was considering freaking out, when Gohan slowly faded into existence next to her.

"Gohan!" Videl said. "Thank God! You're here!"

"Where _is_ here?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know," Videl said. "Majin Buu grabbed my head, and the next time I knew, I was here."

Gohan looked around. The sky was pink and blue, and the path they were on looked like it was floating on top of a huge bank of orange clouds. The path wound its way over the clouds, without any real end in sight.

"I think we died and went to Heaven," Gohan said. "There are clouds everywhere."

"Yeah, but there aren't any angels here," Videl said.

"You're here," Gohan said.

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" Videl snapped.

"What? No!" Gohan said. "Not unless you want me to, of course! I'm just saying that you have a halo."

Videl looked up. "I don't believe it," she said. "I _must_ be dead! ...And you have a halo, too!"

"Huh," Gohan said, examining his halo. He tried yanking on it, but that hurt his head.

"But if we're in Heaven, where _is_ everyone?" Videl asked. "It looks like they dropped us off in the middle of nowhere."

"I guess we just go down the path," Gohan said.

"Which way, though?" Videl asked.

"That way," Gohan said, pointing left. "I can sense energy coming from that direction."

"I guess I'll take your word for it," Videl said. She still couldn't sense the energy coming from other people.

The two teenagers walked together down Snake Way. It got boring very quickly, because the view never changed.

"What do you think happened with Majin Buu?" Videl asked.

"Well, I don't see Buu or Erasa here," Gohan said. "So that means they're both still alive."

"Or they died, and they went to Hell instead of Heaven," Videl said.

"I could see Buu going to Hell, but that would only happen if Erasa killed him," Gohan said. "I don't think that's likely."

"You're right," Videl said. "Buu must have decided not to kill her, for some reason."

"I can't believe that Buu killed me so easily!" Gohan said. "Now the Earth is doomed!"

"Hey, you did your best, right?" Videl asked.

"How would you know?" Gohan asked. "You weren't there!"

"I _know_ because I know you," Videl said. "You went all-out, trying to avenge my death. _Right?_"

Videl's tone of voice made it sound like she was going to attack Gohan if he said "no".

"Of course I did," Gohan said. "I couldn't let Buu get away with killing my best fighting friend."

"Good," Videl said. "Except for the part where he killed you first."

"Killed by a monster made of pink bubblegum," Gohan said, sighing. "People are going to be giggling at our funerals."

"Yeah, that kind of stinks," Videl said. "Also, I died before I hit my growth spurt. It's so unfair."

"Hey!" Gohan said suddenly.

"What?" Videl asked.

"Look ahead!" Gohan said, pointing at a complex with Japanese-style towers. "There's a huge temple thing over there!"

"We made it!" Videl said. "Where, I don't know, but we made it!"

The two teenagers ran to the temple, where they were greeted by an odd-looking person with blue skin.

"Hello," Gohan said.

"Welcome strangers!" the blue-skinned woman said. "You made it to the palace of Princess Snake! Come on in and rest for a while!"

"Great!" Videl said.

* * *

><p>"So you're a princess?" Videl asked their gracious host.<p>

"In a manner of speaking," Princess Snake said. "Please, have some more noodles."

"Don't mind if I do!" Gohan said, gulping down yet another bowl.

"Wow, your manners are horrible," Videl commented. "Excuse my friend, your highness. He's a guy."

"It's fine," Princess Snake said. "He reminds me of someone I met once, long ago."

"Why don't you have some food?" Videl asked, taking a bite out of a piece of bread.

"I have a slight stomach problem," Princess Snake said. "You see, I'm allergic to poison."

_"Poison?"_ Gohan asked. "You mean, this food is—"

"Laced with poison? Yes," Princess Snake said. Her eyes changed to become more snakelike, as she revealed her true form. "It'll make your bodies smooth and tender, _when I eat you alive!_"

Gohan jumped up. "You can't—" he said.

And then, suddenly, he was falling as the ground below his feet disappeared. The next thing Gohan felt was pain as his back hit the ground.

"Uuumph!" Videl said, landing behind him.

Twenty feet above them, Princess Snake gloated. "I had that trap door installed after your father gave us some trouble!" she said. "Have fun dying alone!"

"My father?" Gohan asked, but it was too late. The doors of the ceiling closed above them.

"What the [bad word] just happened?" Videl asked.

"I don't know," Gohan said. "And I don't feel good, either. I think the poison is kicking in."

"I can't die from poison!" Videl said. "I'm dead already!"

"Poison will tenderize our bodies," Gohan said, thinking quickly. "If she attacked us outright, our muscles would be tensed, and we wouldn't taste as good."

"Thanks for the cooking lesson, Captain Cannibal," Videl said. "Meanwhile, I...I...oh God, my head..."

"This isn't good," Gohan said, standing up. "Maybe I can blast my way out of here."

"Wait!" Videl said. She grabbed onto Gohan and used him to pull herself up. "If...If I'm going to die, then..."

She kissed him.

Gohan's eyes went wide as he looked down at the black-haired girl. Videl smiled at Gohan for a second, then she collapsed on the ground as her legs gave way.

"So that's what kissing is like," Videl said. "Heh. I knew it was overrated."

"Videl?" Gohan asked tentatively.

Videl's eyes closed, and she didn't respond. Gohan could sense her energy dropping down to nothing.

_That's twice she's died because of me,_ Gohan realized.

Gathering the last of his strength, Gohan flew up to the ceiling, intending to smash through it and blow Princess Snake's temple to smithereens.

* * *

><p>Videl was having a very odd dream. Something about Erasa with extremely long hair, holding hands with Gohan.<p>

"I'm half-Saiyan, and you're half-Saiyan," Erasa said. "Half plus half is one, so if we have a baby, it'll be a full Saiyan!"

"Genetics doesn't work like that," Gohan said.

"_Our_ genetics will work like that," Erasa said. "True love always wins! Isn't that right...Videl?"

Gohan and Erasa turned to look at Videl. Gohan had an evil-looking grin on his face, but then a large snake popped out of the ground and swallowed him whole.

"Whoops," Erasa said. "There goes your only chance at true love. Tough luck, Videl."

"What are you talking about?" Videl asked. "What's going on?"

Erasa flipped her hair over her shoulder, and her hair turned pink, the color of Majin Buu. "I never knew love like this before!" she sang. "I never knew hate could be so cold!"

Erasa rolled her head around and used her long, Super Saiyan 3-length hair to slap Videl. "Ha ha ha ha!" Erasa laughed. "Knock, knock! Who's there? WAKE UP!"

* * *

><p>Gohan was crouched down, holding the unconscious Videl in his hands.<p>

"Wake up!" Gohan said, slapping Videl again. "Wake up!"

Videl's hand shot forward and her eyes opened. "Don't hit me, Era...Gohan?"

"You're back!" Gohan said, happily.

Videl shook her head, then rolled out of Gohan's arms and stood up. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where's Princess Snake?"

"Dead," Gohan said. "I destroyed her palace." He pointed to a large pile of rubble off the edge of Snake Way, rubble that used to be Princess Snake's temple.

"But...the poison!" Videl said.

"The poison slowed me down a bit, but it didn't stop me," Gohan said. "I think it's because of my metabolism. It takes a lot more poison to kill me than it does to kill a normal person."

"And how am _I_ not dead?" Videl asked.

Gohan shrugged. "You _are_ dead, remember? We're in Heaven together."

"Right..." Videl said.

"I guess the poison couldn't kill you _again_, so you just went unconscious until it passed through your system," Gohan said.

"Well...in that case..." Videl said. "Thank you...I guess?"

"You're welcome," Gohan said.

"And if anyone asks, that kiss didn't happen," Videl said.

"It didn't?" Gohan asked, sounding disappointed. "I was kind of hoping..."

"Hoping what?" Videl asked dangerously.

"Well, I mean, I saved your life, kind of, and heroic deeds like that usually get rewarded," Gohan said.

"Sorry to pop your bubble, Prince Charming, but I am _not_ a damsel in distress," Videl said.

"You think I'm charming?" Gohan asked.

"It's an expression," Videl said. "Didn't your mom ever read fairy tales to you when you were growing up?"

"Not really," Gohan said. "She mostly just told us about the adventures she and my father had when they were younger. They fought fires and armies and demons together."

"Hmmph," Videl said. "Well, if what I've seen in the past week is any indication, your life is probably more exciting than any fairy tale."

"Thanks, I think," Gohan said. "But your life must be pretty exciting, too. After all, your dad is a world famous fighter."

"Yeah, famous for killing Cell, when he _didn't,_" Videl said. "That was you, right?"

"Yeah..." Gohan said. "Don't tell anyone, though, okay?"

"It's not like there's anyone here for us to tell," Videl said, gesturing towards Snake Way. There was no one else in sight for miles.

"Still," Gohan said. "If everyone found out that I killed Cell, my life would get all crazy like yours. No offense."

"None taken," Videl sighed. "My life _did_ get pretty weird when Dad killed Cell two years ago...but it wasn't _all_ bad. It was a lot worse when Mom died."

Gohan didn't say anything. He never heard Videl talk about her mother before.

"Do you think we'll see her?" Videl asked. "Now that we're in Heaven?"

"I don't know," Gohan said. "The last time my dad went here, he said he never saw any other dead people."

"Um...what?" Videl asked.

"My dad died once, and we brought him back with the dragonballs," Gohan said. "Hey, I bet Dende will do the same thing for us, now that we're dead!"

"What are you talking about?" Videl asked. "Are you saying you have a way to bring people back from the dead?"

"Yes," Gohan said. "That's how we brought everyone back to life after Cell was killed."

"That was _you?_" Videl asked. "Who—how did you do that? That was thousands of people, some of them weeks after they died!"

"Have you ever heard the legend of the dragonballs?" Gohan asked.

"I thought you didn't know any fairy tales," Videl said.

"It's not a fairy tale," Gohan said. "It's real. There are seven magic balls scattered all over the Earth, and you can bring them together to form a magic dragon that grants wishes."

"Did you hurt your head in the fight with Majin Buu?" Videl asked, concerned.

"I'm not crazy!" Gohan said. "My dad really _did_ die and come back to live six months later."

"Maybe you should lie down," Videl said. "The Snake Lady's poison probably messed with your mind a bit."

Gohan scowled. "Look, my dad..."

He fell silent for a second, then got the best idea ever. "My dad! He's here in Heaven! He can use Instant Transmission to find us!"

"Uh..." Videl said, her face falling flat.

Gohan clenched his arms and scrunched up his face in concentration as he sought out his father's energy signal. To Videl, this looked more than a little odd.

"Dad? Dad, where are you?" Gohan thought.

"I'm right here," a voice answered back. "Is that you, Chalmain?"

"No, who's this?" Gohan thought.

"It's Valtron," Valtron thought back. "Who else would it be?"

"Uh, never mind," Gohan said. "Wrong person."

Videl's face paled. "I was just joking about you acting crazy," she said. "But now you're really starting to freak me out."

"Dad? Where are you?" Gohan thought, finding another area with strong energy signals.

"SON!" a voice thought back. "I haven't heard from you in over thirty years! It's great to hear you again!"

"Um, sorry," Gohan thought. "I think you might be the wrong person."

"Well, I'm King Kai," King Kai thought. "Who's this?"

"I'm Gohan Son," Gohan thought. "Can you help me find my father Goku?"

"Him? Oh, sure," King Kai thought. "He's probably around here somewhere. GOKU! DINNER TIME!"

Those words were certain to bring Goku running, no matter where he was. That's exactly what happened, and Goku talked with King Kai for a bit. Meanwhile, Gohan stood up.

"Okay, I managed to get King Kai to contact my dad," Gohan said. "He should be here soon."

"Gohan, you...you're scaring me even more than the snake woman," Videl said.

"Don't worry," Gohan said. "I'll explain everything in a bit."

"In a bit? Explain NOW!" Videl said.

"Uh, okay," Gohan said. "I tried to contact my dad, because he's here, too. I managed to get in touch with Dad's boss, and—"

"Gohan, you stood still and scrunched up your face. That's not getting in contact with anyone."

"I can use telecommunication," Gohan said.

"You communicate with a television?" Videl asked.

"No!" Gohan said. "It's like psychic powers, but they work at a long distance."

"For the record, this is _not_ reassuring me you're okay," Videl said.

Suddenly, Goku appeared next to Gohan. From Videl's point of view, he just popped in from out of nowhere.

"AAAA!" Videl screamed.

"Hey, Son!" Goku said. "I didn't think I'd see you again _this_ soon! What happened?"

"Dad!" Gohan said, hugging his father. "I don't believe it! You're really here!"

"Ehhhh..." Videl said, before collapsing back into unconsciousness.


	21. King Catfish, Ruler of Kung Fu Heaven

Goku looked down at the unconscious Videl in confusion. "Who's that?" he asked.

"Her name is Videl Satan," Gohan said. "She's with me."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Goku asked.

"Dad!" Gohan said, scandalized. "How could you even _ask_ something like that?"

Goku shrugged. "Your mother and I were both thirteen when we first met. I thought maybe you..."

"She's not my girlfriend," Gohan said. "I don't think so, anyway. She kissed me, but—"

Goku shook his head. Our large-haired hero doesn't care too much for romantic discussion, so he decided to change topics to something more interesting. "That doesn't matter," he said. "What's important is, can she fight?"

"Yes," Gohan said. "She came in second place to me, during the last World Martial Arts Tournament."

"Great!" Goku said enthusiastically. "Let's bring her along! I'm sure she'll want to meet everyone!"

* * *

><p>Vegeta stepped out of the space pod and looked around at the planet Kazria. It seemed completely unremarkable. The Saiyan Prince couldn't see anything, besides dark red dirt which stretched out in all directions.<p>

"Hmph," Vegeta said. "No natives in sight."

Vegeta flew off, in search of the closest energy signal. One of the creatures on this planet had requested a meeting with him. Since this was the fourth of the six planets he had to visit, Vegeta was hoping to get through things quickly, so he could return to Earth.

It didn't take long for Vegeta to find a city, made of dark red buildings. The creatures on this planet looked almost exactly like humans, except shorter. For once, Vegeta was one of the tallest people around. The Kazrians were able to lead him to his destination: the house of someone named Chiulma.

Vegeta knocked on the front door. It was answered almost immediately, by a Kazrian woman.

"Hello?" she said.

"Augh!" Vegeta said, stepping backwards. The woman looked exactly like Chi-Chi, except she had light blue hair, the same shade as Bulma's. It was like someone put Chi-Chi and Bulma in a blender.

"Are you...Chiulma?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes," Chiulma said. "Who are you?"

"I am Prince Vegeta, the last Saiyan in existence," Vegeta said.

Technically, this wasn't true. The first planet Vegeta visited on this trip was revealed to be the home planet of a previously-unknown Saiyan named Hakarott. Hakarott had given up fighting, in order to become a guitarist. Vegeta and Hakarott got into a huge argument about his Saiyan duties, and Vegeta decided it would be better to pretend Hakarott didn't exist.

"You," Chiulma said. "_You're_ Vegeta, huh? What did you do to my baby?"

"Your...what?"

"My baby girl, Erasa!" Chiulma said. "Turles told me that you sent her off to an unknown planet!"

"Turles is dead," Vegeta said.

"I know that!" Chiulma said. "We just found out about that! That's why I asked to meet you."

_It took eight years for that information to reach here?_ Vegeta thought. _What method of communication do they __use__ on this planet?_

"You are going to tell me everything you know about Turles' death," Chiulma ordered. "And then, you are going to help me find Erasa."

"Erasa who?" Vegeta asked.

"My daughter!" Chiulma said. "The one I had with Turles!"

"I see," Vegeta said. He thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered. That was right, Turles _did_ have a child with some alien species, over ten years ago. Vegeta himself sent the child to...

"That information should still be in my ship's computer," Vegeta said. "Getting it will be easy enough."

Sure, he told Turles that Erasa was sent to an unknown planet, but _of course _he kept the data on his computer. After, the child was half-Saiyan. Vegeta wasn't going to banish her to the far corners of the galaxy without a way to get in contact with her again.

* * *

><p>Videl's eyes opened slowly.<p>

"Oh, you're awake, are you?" a voice asked.

Her vision came into focus, and she saw some kind of hideous blue...thing fill her line of sight. It was a horrible creature, with a stringy mouth where its eyes should be.

"Back off!" Videl said. "You don't—oh, ow!"

Videl realized she was seeing the creature the wrong way, because she was lying down. She slowly sat up and took another look at the creature.

Looking at the creature correctly didn't improve the view much. It was some kind of blue catfish monster, with sunglasses. And it had the body of a small, fat man.

_He looks even scarier than Majin Buu!_ Videl thought. _I hope it's a peaceful animal..._

"Are you okay?" the creature asked. "It's unusual for people to sleep here in Other World."

"Oh great, it can talk," Videl muttered.

"What's that?" the talking catfish asked.

"Nothing," Videl said, standing up. "It's just...where am I? What's going on?"

Videl looked around. The area here was mostly green, with a few trees in the distance. It was like she was on the world's largest soccer field. No one else was around, and Videl brief felt a pang of loneliness.

"I am King Kai," the catfish proclaimed. "You are the first human to come here in thousands of years."

Videl blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yes," King Kai said. "You are very unique, Young Videl. Your potential is great."

"No, seriously?" Videl asked. "This isn't...I dunno, the weirdest practical joke ever?"

"I love jokes!" King Kai said. "But no, this is not a joke. You really _are _the first human to be found worthy of visiting this part of Other World since Olibu. This means—"

"Wait, wait, wait, let me guess," Videl said. "Now I have to meet up with the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Woodman, because we're _The Chosen Ones_ who will kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Then we visit the Emerald City so the Wizard of Oz can send me back home."

King Kai's jaw dropped, as he tried to process what she just said.

_Why do all the Earthlings I meet have to be complete weirdos?_ King Kai wondered. _First Goku, then Piccolo, now this girl._

"No, but seriously, how do I get back home?" Videl asked. "I'm sure it's very nice here on the talking catfish planet, but I want to leave and meet up with my friends."

"You can't leave Other World!" King Kai said. "It's against the rules!"

"Well, too bad for you, but I'm a rule breaker," Videl said. She waved her hand. "See you later, King Catfish."

"It's King KAI!" King Kai yelled, as Videl walked away.

_Gohan, where are you, and what's going on?_ Videl wondered.

* * *

><p>"Give it a second," Vegeta said, typing into his computer. "It won't take long for the machine to locate your daughter."<p>

"This better not be a trick," Chiulma warned. "I haven't seen my daughter since I gave birth to her, thirteen years ago."

"Here we go," Vegeta said. "She was sent to...Earth. _Earth?"_

"You know that planet?" Chiulma asked.

"I'm...familiar with it," Vegeta said.

"Well, then, I'm visiting Earth as soon as possible," Chiulma said. "Can you take me there?"

"I am not a taxi service!" Vegeta snapped. "Besides, I'm not going to that planet, anyway."

"Darn," Chiulma said. "I guess I'll have to fly there myself. Hopefully it won't be too expensive."

Sadly, the price for a round trip from Kazria to Earth was about three times more than Chiulma's annual wages for five years, minus expenses. That was partly because Kazria was an isolated planet, and partly because Earth isn't part of the Interplanetary Trade System. Chiulma never _did_ visit Earth to meet her daughter Erasa, which didn't bother anyone, because Chiulma isn't that interesting of a character, anyway.

Vegeta, however, was glad to learn the information.

_So, there's another half-Saiyan on my home planet..._ Vegeta thought. _I'll have to find her._

* * *

><p>As you would expect, one of the first things Goku did was insist on fighting with Gohan. He wanted to see how strong his son had gotten over the past two years. Naturally, the two of them fought in an isolated location, so no innocent bystanders would be hurt.<p>

King Kai marched up to their fighting area, with an angry look on his face.

"Gohan! I'm kicking your girlfriend out of Other World!" King Kai said.

"Huh?" Gohan asked.

Goku took advantage of the distraction to smash Gohan in the side of the face.

"Ow, Dad, stop!" Gohan said. He landed on the ground, next to King Kai. "What did you say?"

"That Videl girl!" King Kai said. "She is rude, disrespectful, and _weird!_ She called me a talking catfish!"

"Well, you kind of _do_ look like a catfish..." Gohan said.

"Mmmm, catfish is delicious," Goku said. "When's dinner, King Kai?"

"We're not eating right now, Goku!" King Kai shouted.

"So, where _is_ Videl?" Gohan asked. "Is she awake yet? I want to talk to her!"

"I don't know where she is," King Kai said. "I was _trying_ to welcome her to the Fighters' Planet, but she just walked away!"

"That doesn't sound like her," Gohan said. "She's usually very nice. Kind of."

"It's like she has no idea who I am or where we are!" King Kai said. "I don't know how she got past King Yemma without—"

"Who's King Yemma?" Gohan asked.

"Didn't you meet with King Yemma?" King Kai asked.

Goku chuckled. "Well, uh, King Kai, I kinda brought them here with Instant Transmission, so we didn't really have _time_ to meet with King Yemma—"

"Goku, you're fired!" King Kai said. "Gohan, _you're_ my new Earthling assistant!"

"You can't fire me!" Goku said. "That's—wait, I didn't know I was working for you! I was working for you?"

"Not anymore," King Kai said. "I have a new, stronger assistant now. And Gohan, your first job is to find Videl and bring her into line!"

"Um, okay," Gohan said. "Sure thing."

He wasn't sure about this job business, and he still didn't know who King Yemma was, but Gohan wanted to find Videl and talk to her, anyway.

"I'll be right back," Gohan said, taking to the sky. "See you soon, Dad! King Kai."

"Nice kid," King Kai said. "I should teach him the Kaioken someday."

"No, but seriously, King Kai!" Goku said. "When's dinner? I'm starved!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, Videl, think," Videl said to herself. "You're in a strange place with talking snakes and fish and other animals, and you have no idea where you are or how to get home. What do you do now?"<p>

Videl thought very hard, but this was not the kind of situation that high school had prepared her for.

Videl sighed. "I guess I just keep going until I find someone useful."

Videl walked for another five minutes, but she didn't find anyone useful. Instead, she found our hero Gohan. Well, actually, Gohan found _her_, by chasing after her energy signal.

"Videl!" Gohan called, as he landed on the ground near her. "There you are!"

"Gohan!" Videl said. "Where have you been for the past half hour? You abandoned me here in...wherever we are!"

"I'm sorry," Gohan said. "I got distracted with meeting my father again. I haven't seen him since he died two years ago."

"Oh," Videl said. She fiddled around with her halo. "So I guess you're saying that we really _did_ get killed by Majin Buu. Now we're in Heaven."

"No, Dad says we're not in Heaven," Gohan said. "We're in the in place that's between Heaven and Hell."

"Purgatory?"

"No, it's...it's like a special heaven, just for people who know martial arts," Gohan said. "Heaven Proper is somewhere else."

"A special heaven, just for martial artists," Videl repeated. "Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

Gohan shrugged. "Hey, I didn't come up with it," he said. "That's what my dad said."

"Yes, well, I'll make sure to talk to your dead father before we leave the Kung Fu Heaven," Videl said. "So what do we do now?"

"Now, we...well, King Kai wanted to talk to you," Gohan said. "We should go see him."

"Who's King Kai?" Videl asked.

"He's the person in charge of this place, I guess," Gohan said. "You met him earlier. He said you called him a catfish."

"Wait, King Catfish is in charge of Kung Fu Heaven?" Videl asked.

"Yes?" Gohan said.

Videl sighed. "You know, before I met you, my life was somewhat normal," she said. "Now things just keep getting weirder and weirder."

"...I'm sorry," Gohan said.

Videl was slightly taken aback by Gohan's serious tone. "It's okay," she said. "I'm used to weirdness, thanks to my dad. It makes life interesting, you know?"

"No, it's my fault you died today," Gohan said. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been anywhere near Majin Buu."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Videl said. "I mean, if he killed _you_, then there's no way _I_ would have stood a chance at beating him."

"I shouldn't have let him fight you!" Gohan said. "I should have stepped in! In fact, I shouldn't have let you and Erasa come at all! It was too dangerous for you!"

"Woah," Videl said. "This is coming out of nowhere. Why are you so upset about this?"

"I'm upset because it's wrong," Gohan said. "I'm tired of seeing other people die because of me!"

"...When?" Videl asked.

"Huh?" Gohan asked.

"When did someone else die because of you?" Videl asked.

"It was my dad," Gohan said. "At the Cell Games. Instead of killing Cell right away, I let him...I gave him the opportunity to cause more damage."

Videl put her hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I didn't know," she said softly.

"It's not your fault," Gohan said.

"And here's something _you_ didn't know," Videl said, starting to sound like a teacher. "When Mom was killed by those thugs, I felt the same way. I thought it was all my fault that she died, because I could have stopped them. And you know what? I was wrong."

"This was different," Gohan said.

"No, it's not," Videl argued. "Cell killed thousands of innocent people, and apparently, Majin Buu did, too! _They're_ responsible for those deaths, not you!"

"I'm responsible, because maybe I could have stopped them earlier!" Gohan said.

"That's _maybe!_" Videl said. "You don't know for certain!"

"I _do_ know!" Gohan said. "I'm the only person in the world who's stronger than Cell. No one else could have stopped him but me."

"Okay, fine," Videl said. "Forget that for a second. Do you know what would have happened this morning, if you said, 'Videl, I can't let you go fight Majin Buu. It's too dangerous. He's going to kill you.'? Do you know what would have happened if you told me that? I would have gone anyway."

"That doesn't matter because—"

"It _does_ matter!" Videl said. "I made a choice to go fight Majin Buu, even though I knew I could be killed! Our dads did the same thing at the Cell Games! So it's _not your fault!"_

"Oh, shut up!" Gohan said. "What do you care, anyway? You weren't at the Cell Games!"

"I care about you, you idiot!" Videl said. "I don't want what happened to me to happen to you! When I blamed myself for Mom's death, it was really, really bad!"

"But that's different!" Gohan said. "I mean, it _has_ to be! I have superpowers and you don't! I'm more culpable than you are!"

"I'm sorry; I didn't know you were Batman!" Videl said.

"Who?" Gohan asked.

Videl's face fell. "You've never heard of Batman," she said.

"No," Gohan said. "Is he some kind of half-man, half-bat?"

"Wow, I thought all guys were into that superhero stuff," Videl said. "Okay, as soon as we get home, I'll show you some Batman cartoons."

"No, you don't get it!" Gohan said. "I can't go anywhere with you anymore! Your life is safer without me!"

"I'm going to take that risk," Videl said. "Now shut up, and let's get going."

"Where?" Gohan asked.

"I wanna meet your dad, of course," Videl said. "We'll see who _he_ thinks is responsible for his death."

"No," Gohan said. "Nuh uh. We are _not_ bringing Dad into this. The conversation is over."

"It's not over until you accept what happened and move on," Videl said. "I mean, the Cell Games were two years ago, and you're _still_ this worked up about it? That's not a good sign."

"I'm not...worked up," Gohan said, trying to calm down. "I'm just saying that I feel responsible for your death, that's all."

"And that's really kind and sensitive of you, Gohan, and we all know how much I _love_ kind and sensitive guys," Videl said sarcastically. "But you're being stupid. Majin Buu killed me, not you."

"I could have protected you!" Gohan protested.

"Sorry to bruise your fragile ego, but you kind of suck at protecting people," Videl said. "I mean, Buu killed you in like a minute. You trying protect me wouldn't have made a difference. Now stop being such a guy and just agree with me already."

Videl's attitude strongly reminded Gohan of one of Chi-Chi's lectures, on why he had to stay away from all girls until he was eighteen. _Teenage girls are a special breed of crazy,_ Chi-Chi had said. _They always think they're right, and they get mad at almost anything._

_Like you?_ Gohan had asked.

He was sent to bed without any dinner that night.

"I am very sorry for disagreeing with you, because you are right and I am wrong," Gohan said, using an apology that Chi-Chi made him repeat frequently.

"Good," Videl said. "Now kiss my feet and say you'll never disagree with me again."

"Uh...no thanks," Gohan said.

Videl shrugged. It was worth a shot.


	22. Back on Earth

**Author's Note: **Okay, the diversion into Other World is nice. Time to get back to Earth, though.

* * *

><p>The adventure with Majin Buu hadn't gone as planned. Videl was dead. Gohan was dead. Buu was dead too, but only because Erasa—sweet, innocent Erasa—had somehow managed to turn Super Saiyan 3. Yep, it turns out she's a half-Saiyan, who has been in Super Saiyan form for most of her life.<p>

"This is the worst day ever," Erasa said. She shook her head, and then she became aware that her hair was ridiculously long.

"What? No way!" Erasa said. She curled up into a ball, and her hair covered her entire body. "My hair _never_ gets longer! Why is it happening now?"

She shrugged. Maybe her hair was making up for the thirteen years of barely growing by suddenly growing several feet in a matter of seconds.

"I need to tell someone what happened," Erasa realized, as she looked at the huge hole where a building used to be. "The green guy! He's the only other one who knew about Buu! He _has _to be able to help!"

Erasa looked around. "Where _is_ Green Guy?" she asked.

_I'm right here, _Dende thought at Erasa. _You need to talk to me?_

"AUGH!" Erasa screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

_I'm on top of the Lookout,_ Dende thought. _I'm using my psychic powers and guardian vision to see and talk to you, even though you're hundreds of miles away._

Erasa shuddered. Green Guy was definitely a stalker.

"I...did you see what happened?" Erasa asked.

_Yes, but I still don't know __what__ happened,_ Dende thought. _Have you always been able to transform like that?_

"Transform? What are you talking about?"

_Um...you look different. As in, a lot different. Your forehead..._

"What about my forehead?" Erasa asked.

_...Never mind. Just come here to the Lookout, and we'll figure out what to do next._

"I don't know where that is," Erasa said.

_It's programmed on Gohan's GPS. Just use that._

"That was destroyed in the fight with Buu," Erasa said. "Along with everything else."

_Um...okay...then fly north until you get closer._

"I have no idea what direction is north!" Erasa said.

Dende sighed. _Look, just starting flying, and I'll tell you if you're going in the right direction or not, okay?_

Eventually, Dende was able to lead Erasa to Kami's Lookout. When he got a good look at Super Saiyan 3 Erasa, it completely weirded him out. This was good news in Erasa's book, because it meant Dende would stop flirting with her. But it was definitely bad news when Dende explained he couldn't help her.

"The dragonballs were used to bring Gohan's arm back six months ago," Dende said. "We have to wait another six months before we can use them again."

"We can't wait six months!" Erasa said. "We need to fix things now!"

"We can't!" Dende said. "Look, my job is on the line here! If you don't keep quiet about Majin Buu, I won't get that big promotion!"

"I don't care about your job!" Erasa said. "I don't even _know _what your job is! I just want my friends to be alive again! Don't you understand that?" Erasa burst into tears. "Gohan and Videl are dead, and it's all my fault! I have to save them!"

Piccolo, who was quietly meditating on the other side of the lookout, opened his eyes. _Did I just hear someone say Gohan is dead?_ Piccolo wondered.

* * *

><p>In Other World, Goku had invited Gohan and Videl to eat with him. This was a big deal in Saiyan culture, because Saiyans almost never share food with others.<p>

"So...I was wondering something," Videl said.

"Uh huh," Goku said.

"Who's responsible for your death, Mr. Son?" Videl asked.

Gohan choked on his noodles.

"Cell, of course!" Goku said. "He's the one who killed me."

"And blew up my planet!" King Kai said. "I'll never forgive that jerk!"

"But isn't like, I dunno, Gohan's fault for not killing Cell earlier?" Videl asked.

"Ha!" King Kai said. "If that's _anybody's_ fault, it's Vegeta's! He's the one who let Cell get his perfect form!"

"Vegeta?" Videl asked.

"Gohan, you're not still blaming yourself for that, are you?" Goku asked. "I told you that I'm proud of what you did with Cell. You saved the universe!"

"I could have killed Cell sooner," Gohan said. "I should have killed him when I first had the chance. Instead, I let my emotions get the better of me."

Goku shrugged. "If you hadn't let your emotions take control, you wouldn't have been able to access your hidden powers. It's like becoming a Super Saiyan for the first time. You sort of _have_ to let your emotions get the better of you, even if the consequences are bad."

"I didn't think of it that way," Gohan said. "It's either lose control or lose the fight..."

"But hey, everything worked out for the best, huh?" Goku said. "Pass the potatoes."

"Sure," Gohan said. He passed a bowl containing three cups of mashed potatoes to his father. Goku ate them all in five seconds.

"How can they eat like that?" Videl asked. "Aren't they dead?"

"It's one of the mysteries of the universe," King Kai told her. "In fact, I just heard a rumor that the _real_ reason Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta was because he didn't want to lose that year's pie eating contest to them."

"...I have no idea what you just said," Videl said.

King Kai sighed. He hated it when one of his jokes was wasted.

* * *

><p>Piccolo demanded an explanation from Dende. Dende refused to say anything, but Erasa was more than happy to tell all. Needless to say, Piccolo was unhappy with Dende's actions.<p>

Two days later, Dende was fired from his job as Guardian of Earth. Piccolo became the new guardian, and the dragonballs became ready for use again.

"The first wish will undo the damage your attack did to the buildings," Piccolo said. "And we'll use the second wish to bring back Gohan and everyone else who died."

"Can we use the third wish to give me a haircut?" Erasa asked. She had been Super Saiyan 3 for two days straight, and it was driving her crazy. She couldn't comb or style that huge mess of hair at all, and whenever anyone tried to cut her hair, the scissors broke.

"You only get two wishes," Piccolo said.

"Fine, whatever," Erasa said. "I still have a hard time believing that this will work."

* * *

><p>"We're finally here?" Videl asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.<p>

"We're here," Gohan said. It had taken some time, but he finally managed to find the particular part of Heaven where Videl's mother was.

The reason it took so long to find her was that the Kai Bureaucracy insisted on calling the place "Other World" instead of "Heaven", because the word "Heaven" has religious connotations. Naturally, Videl thought this was ridiculous, especially considering that her family had been forced to pretend their last name was Satan. Why couldn't her father have come up with a better stage name?

"Where is she?" Videl asked. The place was mostly an open field, with yellow daisies and a few ghost-like people flying around.

"Videl!" a voice shouted.

Videl turned around and saw her mother at a distance. Videl ran towards her mother as her mother floated towards her. Videl stretched her hands out, and...

* * *

><p>Suddenly, Videl was in a vastly different place. The ground was white marble, the sky was dark and...was that a huge dragon floating overhead?<p>

"Your wish is granted," Shenron said.

"All right!" Erasa cheered. "Videl and Gohan are alive again!"

"We're back on Earth," Gohan noted.

Videl fell to her knees. "[Bad word]!" she shouted loudly.

Shenron didn't seem to appreciate Videl's language, but then again, he never seems to appreciate much. He quickly disappeared, and the dragonballs scattered.

Piccolo put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Welcome back, kid," he said.

Erasa was less formal. She screamed, _"You're alive!"_, then she tackled Gohan and gave him a huge hug. "Oh my God, you're alive! This is great!"

"Uhwuhhuh?" Gohan asked. He tried to look at the girl who was hugging him, but all he could see was a mess of golden, blonde hair.

Erasa let go of Gohan and turned towards Videl. She was going to lunge forward and hug her, too, but Videl threw her hand out.

"Hold it, Rapunzel!" Videl said. "Who are you, and how do you know us?"

"Yeah, good question," Gohan said.

"What?" Erasa asked. "Don't you recognize me?"

Videl shook her head. "I think I'd remember a barbershop disaster like you."

"Don't be mean," Gohan said, admiring Erasa's shining blue eyes. "I think she's kind of cute for a cavewoman."

"YOU GUYS!" Erasa said. "Stop joking around!"

Piccolo grunted. "The cavewoman is your friend, Erasa."

Gohan fell over, and Videl's jaw dropped. "No way," she said. "What happened to your _hair?_"

"It, um, grew out a bit," Erasa said.

"Your eyebrows have disappeared," Gohan said. "And your forehead is...uh..."

"I know!" Erasa said. "I don't know what the heck happened to me, and the green guy doesn't know either!"

"My _name_ is Piccolo," Piccolo said. "And apparently, this happened right before she killed Majin Buu."

"_You_ killed Majin Buu?" Videl asked. "No way!"

Gohan nodded. "I had a feeling that somebody stopped Buu," he said. "King Kai would have mentioned it if a monster was still on the loose on Earth."

"King Kai's been busy," Piccolo said. "Dende got fired for trying to cover up the whole Majin Buu episode. For now, I'm the temporary Guardian of Earth."

Videl poked Erasa's hair. "Is this for real?" she asked.

"Don't play with my hair!" Erasa said. "And I think _you_ messed up my hair somehow. After you died, Gohan's hair changed, too. It became all blonde!"

"...Right," Videl said. "Gohan became blonde when I died. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm not crazy!" Erasa said, stamping her foot.

"She's not," Gohan said. "I went Super Saiyan. It's like this."

Gohan powered up to Super Saiyan, as a demonstration. His hair became larger and yellower, and the spikes went straight up to the sky.

"That's. Freaky." Videl said. "Your eyes..."

"Saiyan..." Erasa said. "Saiyan is the species your dad was, right?"

Gohan nodded. "I fight better when I'm in this form," he said. "I'm a lot stronger, too. I thought it would help me stop Majin Buu."

"But it didn't," Erasa said, explaining to Videl. "Gohan fought him for a while, but Buu blew off his head. That's when I...I'm still not sure what happened. I felt like my head was split in two, and I went into autopilot as I destroyed everything there with a huge energy attack. When I came out of it, Buu was gone, there weren't any buildings left, and my hair was humongous."

"I think she has some kind of hidden powers we've never encountered before," Piccolo said. Actually, he thought the most like explanation was that Erasa was lying, but he didn't want to mention that in front of her.

Erasa burst into tears. "I can't believe you two are alive again! I thought you were gone forever, and we couldn't even have a funeral because I destroyed your bodies!"

"Hey, it's okay," Videl said. "We're all right now, kind of."

"Yeah," Gohan said, powering back down to normal. "You saved the universe, Erasa. You should be proud of yourself."

Erasa sniffled. "Yeah, but..."

Erasa's eyes went wide. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" Gohan asked.

"You're not blonde anymore," Erasa said. "And you shrunk your hair back to normal."

"Oh, that?" Gohan said. "I just powered down. No big deal."

_"You know a hair-shrinking technique, and you think it's no big __deal__?"_ Erasa asked. "Do you know what I've _gone_ through the past few days? My hair is a mess, my clothes barely fit over my Herculean muscles, and you say there's a way to _change_ it?"

"Woah, woah!" Gohan said. "Don't get mad! It only works for Super Saiyans!"

"Oh..." Erasa said. "So it won't work on humans like me."

"You can still do it, though," Gohan said. "Being able to cover up your energy comes in handy sometimes."

"So show us already!" Videl said.

"It's...hmmm...it's basically the opposite of the powering up technique I showed you earlier," Gohan said. "Only instead of letting your energy out, you try to bottle it up inside you, so other people can't sense it."

Videl tried it out, but all she ended up doing was gather energy inside herself, as if she was preparing for a large attack. This made it _easier_ to sense her energy, not harder.

Erasa, on the other hand, powered up. The ground started shaking.

"Woah, stop!" Gohan said. "Other way! Other way! Block the flow of energy!"

Piccolo shook his head. Gohan was a horrible teacher. It was amazing that Videl and Erasa learned how to fly in less than a week, under Gohan's instructions.

"Whoops," Erasa said. She tried to concentrate on blocking the flow of energy, putting it to sleep. It didn't work, so she tried to clog it, like a shopping mall that's so clogged with customers that you can't get to the store you want. Somehow, that image really worked for her, and her energy dropped off drastically.

Erasa's hair practically shot back into her head, and her hair turned black for the first time in thirteen years.

"Did I do it right?" she asked.

Gohan's eyes went wide, and his body started shaking. "Waaa...haaaa...huuuuu..."

Videl had the opposite reaction. She braced herself for a battle, and, raising her fists, she demanded, "All right, you! You're not Erasa! Who are you, really?"

Piccolo also braced for a fight. "I _knew_ that a stranger coming from nowhere to defeat Buu was too good to be true!" he said.

"What are you talking about, Videl?" Erasa asked. "Of course I'm—my hair!"

Erasa felt the top of her head. Her hair wasn't larger than a German Shepherd anymore!

"My hair is back to normal!" Erasa said. "It worked! It worked! It worked!"

She twirled around. "Gohan, you're the greatest! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Erasa grabbed Gohan and gave him a big kiss on the lips.

"Eh...Erasa..." Gohan said in a shaky voice. "Your hair is..."

Gohan grabbed one of the longer locks of Erasa's hair and waved it in front of her eyes.

Erasa's eyes widened as she realized the hair—_her _hair—was black. Then she screamed and fainted. Her power level dropped down to zero.

The Lookout was silent for a while, as our heroes tried to process what was going on. Finally, Videl couldn't resist summing up what happened.

"So...you kiss her, then she screams and faints," Videl said. "Good job, stud."

"Shut up," Gohan said.

* * *

><p>After some discussion with Piccolo, Gohan and Videl decided to fly the unconscious Erasa back to Hercule's mansion.<p>

"It feels so strange to be going back home," Videl said. "It's like the weirdest week of my life is finally over, and now everything is going back to normal."

"Mostly normal," Gohan said. "We still have this girl to deal with."

"Yeah, the weird girl who claims she's my best friend," Videl said. "Even though we know she can change her appearance, and she only _kind of _looks like Erasa."

"When I sensed her energy, it was almost the same as Erasa's," Gohan said. "I say we trust her."

"You're only saying that because she kissed you," Videl said. "Right before she screamed and fainted."

"Will you stop mentioning that?" Gohan snapped.

"No," Videl said. "That is the most hilarious thing I've seen in a long time. Your first kiss makes a girl scream in horror."

"It was the _hair_ that made her faint, and besides, that wasn't my first kiss," Gohan said. "You kissed me at—"

"I told you, that didn't happen," Videl said. "It was a delusion of yours, brought on by Princess Snake's poison."

"It was _not_ a delusion!" Gohan said.

"If you think that I'd willingly kiss someone, then you're deluded," Videl said. "And I especially wouldn't kiss _you_, because you're apparently the worst kisser ever."

"Shut up!" Gohan said.

Videl grinned. "Did I mention I'm going to tease you about this for the rest of your life?" she asked.

"I need new friends," Gohan moaned. Hopefully, friends who wouldn't put him in a weird love triangle.

They kept flying like that for ten minutes, with Videl constantly reminding Gohan that his kiss made a girl scream in horror. But despite Videl's lighthearted mood, she immediately tensed up when they landed at Hercule's Manor.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, hefting Erasa over his shoulder.

"The front door is open," Videl said. "Dad never leaves the front door open, unless..."

"Unless what?" Gohan said.

_Unless he's with one of his cheap dates,_ Videl thought. Hercule had a minor reputation as a womanizer, which wasn't entirely deserved, but Videl most definitely did _not_ approve of some of the women he had come home with in the past few months.

"Nothing," Videl said. "Let's just get up to my room."

"Where's your room?" Gohan asked.

"I'll lead the way," Videl said. She stepped inside and led Gohan through the large entryway. As they passed the kitchen, a strong scent reached their nostrils.

"What's that smell?" Gohan asked.

"Alcohol," Videl said grimly. "This isn't good. Dad never drinks. Not since..."

Videl paused, remembering. The night after his wife died, Hercule got very, very drunk. It was a horrible experience for Videl, but as far as she knew, he had never drunk anything since that night.

"Since when?" Gohan asked.

"I don't like this," Videl said. "Let's just get to my room, quickly. We should try to avoid my Dad, just in case."

Gohan didn't argue, and Videl led him up the stairs to her room. They were almost there, when Videl noticed the light coming from her father's room, down the hall. The doors were wide open, and drunken laughter was coming from inside.

It wasn't just her father's voice, though. There was a woman laughing with him.

"Oh God," Videl said. Her father was drunk, _and_ he was with one of his cheap floozies. "Quick, into my room before he notices us!"

"Right," Gohan said.

"Whooosat?" a voice said.

Hercule stumbled out through the doors to his room, wearing nothing but a pair of teddy bear boxers, his usual nighttime apparel. Videl tried her best to hide behind Gohan.

"Heyyyyyyyy!" Hercule said. "You here for the party?"

"Um, no sir," Gohan said.

"You missed the wedding," Hercule said. "I got married again! It was fuuuuuuuuun!"

"Oh [bad word], no," Videl said, getting out from behind Gohan. "Dad, tell me you did _not_ get married tonight!"

"Videl!" Hercule said. "You're...you're dead! It's...so sad..."

Hercule eyes teared up, and he started bawling.

"This isn't happening," Videl said. "This isn't happening. Let's just go in my room, because this isn't happening."

"Your dad—" Gohan said.

"Herrrrrrrrcky!" said a woman's voice, from inside the room. "Come baaaaaack!"

Gohan dropped Erasa's body, and it fell on Videl. "Ow!" Videl said. "What was that? You—oh no!"

Gohan and Videl stepped backwards as the woman from inside the room came into view. Like her brand new husband, she had too much to drink, and she was wearing purple pajamas.

_"Mom?"_ Gohan asked.

"Goooooohan!" Chi-Chi said. "You...you're dead!"

"Dead!" Hercule said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Videl is dead! My...my whole family is dead!"

"Shhh, shh, shh!" Chi-Chi said. "It's okay, Hercky. They're dead, but we still have each other."

She stroked the side of Hercule's face. He burst into tears.

Gohan was seriously contemplating ripping out his eyeballs, when Videl grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into her room. She locked the door behind them.

"That...that did _not_ just happen," Gohan said.

"I swear to God, I hope this unconscious lump _is_ Erasa," Videl said, indicating the still unconscious girl. "Because if it's her, she has some _serious_ explaining to do."


	23. Gohan Goes to School

After a half-hour, it became obvious that Erasa wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, so Gohan decided to spend the night at Videl's house.

"Let's share the bed," Gohan suggested.

"No way," Videl said. "I don't care if we're step-siblings now. You are _not_ sleeping in my room."

"We are _not_ step-siblings," Gohan said. "That was...that was a cruel joke, that's all."

"Our parents weren't playing a joke on us!" Videl said. "They were too drunk to do something like that!"

"Well, they don't let drunk people get married!" Gohan said. "...Right?"

"We'll figure this out later," Videl promised. "For now, you should get going to the guest room."

"But I don't know where that is!" Gohan said.

Videl sighed. "I'll show you where it is," she said. "Let's just hope we don't run into our parents."

She opened the door to her room. Thankfully, the hallway was adult-free. Loud snoring came from Hercule's room, even though the lights were still on.

"It's over here," Videl said, taking Gohan down the hall and to the left, down another hall. She opened the door and flipped on the light.

Almost instantly, crying filled the room. Goten's crib was hastily assembled next to the bed, and the small child was _not_ happy about being woken up.

Videl looked shocked. "Is that a _baby?_" she asked.

"That's my little brother, Goten," Gohan said. He reached down and picked up Goten. "He's almost two years old."

"He's loud," Videl noted, as Gohan tried to rock the baby back to silence.

"You're the one who woke him up!" Gohan said. "Shhhh!"

"Qu...quiet!" said an angry voice.

Gohan took a step backwards, as a scary monster rose up from the blankets on the bed. Gohan had been too focused on Goten to notice that someone else was in the room.

"Mommy!" Goten said.

Gohan was slightly relieved to learn that the blanket monster was Chi-Chi. His mother was completely out of it, and she did not look happy.

"Turn the light off! I'm trying to sleep!" Chi-Chi said.

"Sorry, Mom!" Gohan said, turning off the light. He put Goten back into his crib—somehow, hearing Chi-Chi's voice had calmed the small child—and Videl and Gohan left the room.

"They're sleeping in separate bedrooms," Videl whispered. "That's a good sign."

"Sign of what?" Gohan asked.

"Sign that they're _not_ married," Videl said. "Because they aren't."

"What does sleeping in separate rooms have to do with being married?" Gohan asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Videl said. "Come on, I'll find you another place to sleep."

She led Gohan down the hall. As he followed, Gohan muttered, "You're only two months older than me."

* * *

><p>Gohan, Videl and Erasa woke up early the next morning. Or at least, they woke up earlier than Chi-Chi and Hercule, which was not surprising, seeing as the two adults had had too much to drink the previous night.<p>

The three teenagers had cereal for breakfast. During the meal, Erasa submitted herself to Videl's harsh questioning, and she managed to prove her identity.

"Okay," Videl said finally. "You're either Erasa, or a very good imposter. In that case, I just have one question for you."

"Shoot," Erasa said.

"What the [bad word] did our [bad word] parents—"

"Waugh!" Gohan interrupted. "She means, um, what happened to your hair?"

"Yeah, good question," Videl said. "First it was long, now it's gone, and you've gone brunette. If you're really Erasa, why don't you _look _like Erasa?"

"I don't _know_ what happened!" Erasa said. "Gohan, your technique messed up my hair! Make it right again!"

Gohan nodded. "I've been thinking about it, and I might have a solution. Let me see your eyes first, though."

"My eyes?" Erasa asked. "Um...okay."

Gohan got close to Erasa and stared into her eyes. They were black.

"Your eyes were blue before, right?" Gohan said. "Almost...teal?"

"Yes," Erasa said. "How did you know?"

"I remember," Gohan said. "I always thought you had interesting eyes, but maybe..."

"Yes?" Erasa asked, leaning closer to Gohan.

"Maybe they're the key to this mystery," Gohan said. "Maybe you're a Super Saiyan."

"A what?" Erasa asked.

"The blonde thing from yesterday, right?" Videl asked.

"Right," Gohan said. "Try to do this, Erasa."

Gohan powered up to Super Saiyan. Erasa tried to copy him, but she had only turned Super Saiyan once. She still wasn't able to do it at will yet.

"It's okay," Gohan said. "It took me a long time to learn it, too."

"So you're saying that I've been stuck in this blonde hair, blue eyes form for my entire life?" Erasa asked.

"Don't worry," Gohan said. "I think you look kind of nice with black hair."

_"I think you kind of look nice with black hair,"_ Videl mimicked, under her breath. "_Why don't we kiss again, and this time you can try not to scream_."

"Videl!" Gohan said.

"Hmmm? What?" Videl asked. "I didn't say anything. You two make a very nice half-alien couple."

"I'm half-_alien?_" Erasa screeched. "That's impossible!"

Videl shrugged. "It's a likely possibility," she said. "It explains why your hair's always been weird."

"Always?" Gohan asked. "You mean this has happened _before?_"

Erasa shuffled her foot. "Well, not _exactly,_" she said. "It's just that my hair grows really slowly. Like, it takes four months for my hair to grow half an inch."

"Hmmm," Gohan said. "I've never heard of that before, but I guess it _could _be a half-Saiyan trait. Can you eat a lot of food without getting fat?"

"I've haven't been able to gain weight, but I never really tried," Erasa said. "That doesn't mean I'm half-alien, though, right?"

"I'll have Piccolo look into it," Gohan said. "The Guardian Book will tell us for sure."

"Uh...right!" Erasa said. She wondered for a moment if she should mention that the Guardian Book said she was half-Kazrian, but she decided against it. She still had no idea where Kazria was.

"Okay then, Alien Erasa," Videl said. "Question #2 is 'What did you tell our parents?'."

"What do you mean?" Erasa asked.

"What did you tell our parents?" Videl asked. "How did you explain the fact that we were gone?"

"I told them the truth," Erasa said. "You two were killed by Majin Buu."

Videl cursed, while Gohan asked "How did they handle it?".

"They screamed and yelled and cried a lot," Erasa said. "Your parents are really loud, you know that? But eventually, they hugged each other for emotional support. It was sweet."

"It was _sweet?_" Videl asked. "Our parents get _married_ because of you, and you think it's _sweet?_"

"Your parents are _married?"_ Erasa screeched. "To each _other?"_

"It looks like it," Gohan said. "But I'm sure this is all just an innocent mistake and—"

_"It's all your fault, and I'm going to destroy you!"_ Videl promised. "If they _did_ get married, that is."

"I don't believe this!" Erasa said. "I didn't know your mom was single! I thought your dad was...where is your dad?"

"Dad is dead," Gohan said. "He died during the Cell Games."

"Oh..." Erasa said. "I'm sorry."

"Not to be mean, but can we get back to the point here?" Videl asked. "Our parents could be married right now, and it's all _your_ fault."

"No _way_ is this my fault!" Erasa protested. "I mean, whenever I introduce two single people to each other, they _never_ get together! Come on, Videl, you _know _this! It didn't happen when I tried to set you up with Tommy or Ralph or Edward or Henry or—"

"You're quite the matchmaker," Gohan said.

"A _failure_ of a matchmaker," Erasa said. "And that's why I'm not responsible for getting your parents together."

"Hmmm..." Videl said. "She has a point. Erasa is really bad at getting two people together."

"Exactly!" Erasa said. "I'm super bad at getting people together, so you shouldn't hurt me because your parents are makeout buddies now."

"ARRRRRRGH!" Videl screamed. And she was _this_ close to forgiving Erasa, too.

"Uh...maybe it's a good thing and they're happy together?" Erasa offered.

"I am _not_ going to forgive you for this," Videl said, cracking her knuckles.

"Oh, gee, look at the time!" Erasa said, checking the non-existent watch on her left wrist. "I need to hurry up and get to school!"

"School can wait," Videl said. "We have to—wait, what day is it?"

"Tuesday," Erasa said.

"No, it's Monday. Right?" Videl asked.

"Tuesday," Erasa repeated.

"Oh [bad word]," Videl said. "That means I missed school yesterday! I'm gonna be in _so _much trouble!"

"You shouldn't get in trouble for missing school," Gohan pointed out. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

"I'm pretty sure they don't accept 'I was dead' as a good excuse for missing class!" Videl said, annoyed. "Come on, we have to go fix this situation now."

"We?" Gohan asked. "I don't go to your school. I don't go to _any_ school, actually."

"Well, you're going now," Videl said, grabbing Gohan's wrist. "Now hurry up. Maybe I can meet with the principal before school starts."

"Ooooo, fun!" Erasa said. "You can sit next to _me_ in class!"

Gohan weighed his options. Go to school with his friends, or stay here and deal with a hung-over Chi-Chi and Hercule.

Gohan shuddered. School it was, then.

* * *

><p>Our three teenage heroes stormed the desk of their homeroom teacher, Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown, as usual, had his nose buried in a book. Today, the book was <span>Dancing Queen: The Official Autobiography of Chi-Chi Son<span>.

"Mr. Brown?" Erasa asked.

The teacher looked up from his book for a second, then resumed reading. "Who are you?" he asked.

"It's me, Erasa!" Erasa said. "I changed my hair again."

"I see," Mr. Brown said. "Well, it looks better now than it did yesterday. Speaking of which, I don't recall seeing you there, Miss Videl."

"I'm sorry," Videl said. "I was out of the country. I just came back last night."

"Next time, inform the front office before you take a trip overseas," Mr. Brown said. "And as for you, sir, I don't believe you're one of my students."

"I'm not," Gohan said. "I'm—"

"He's shadowing me," Erasa interrupted. "You know, because he's planning on applying to go here next year."

"You're not on the list of students who have shadows," Mr. Brown said.

"I...just signed up for it last week?" Erasa guessed.

"Miss San, you are—" Mr. Brown began to say.

The bell for the start of class rang.

"We will continue this discussion after class," Mr. Brown said to Erasa. To Gohan, he said, "In this class, we sit in alphabetical order, according to last name. Find your seat, then take it."

Gohan nodded, then went up the steps to where the rest of the class was.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Brown said. "Today, we're going to discuss the different types of nouns. The first type is..."

* * *

><p>While the students were at school, Hercule woke up in his bedroom. He had a bad headache, so he put on a bathrobe and went downstairs. There, he stumbled into the kitchen, saw Chi-Chi sitting at a table, and he said three words that you don't want to hear from your newlywed spouse.<p>

"Who are you?" Hercule asked.

"I'm Chi-Chi Son," Chi-Chi said. "Who are _you?_"

"I'm Hercule Satan," Hercule said. "Uh...this is my house we're in right now."

"It's big," Chi-Chi said. "What am I doing here?"

"I have no idea," Hercule said. He tried thinking about it, but his head screamed in protest. "Ow...ow...my head..."

"My head hurts, too," Chi-Chi said. "...I _think_ we might have gotten drunk together last night."

"Oh, right," Hercule said. He certainly _felt_ hung over. "You're the mom of the...uh...whatever. I'm gonna make some coffee."

"Ugh, give me some," Chi-Chi said. "I can't think straight."

Chi-Chi rubbed her forehead, and felt a strange sensation. Something was...cutting into her skin? She pulled her hand back and stared at it for a while.

"Where did I get a ring?" Chi-Chi wondered. The ring on her hand was somewhat fancy, which surprised her to no end. She didn't wear a wedding ring, not even when she was married to Goku. Why did she have one now?

Chi-Chi took off the ring. There was an inscription on the inside. She squinted to read it. _To my wife Chi-Chi, from her husband Hercule._

"[Bad word]," Chi-Chi said.

"Huh?" Hercule said. He was fumbling through the cabinets, looking for the coffee maker.

"I...think we got married last night," Chi-Chi said.

"Euh..." Hercule said, accidentally smashing a plate. "Wha...are you sure?"

"I have no idea," Chi-Chi said. She dropped her head onto the table. "God, I hope not..."

* * *

><p>Gohan and his friends were seated in the third-from-the-top row of the classroom. When you arranged their last names alphabetically, you got Erasa San, Videl Satan, Sharpener Sharpener, and Gohan Son. So Erasa was on the right, Videl was left of her, then there was Sharpener, and Gohan was on the end.<p>

Gohan had never been formally introduced to Sharpener before. That was probably a good thing. Gohan didn't like how Sharpener rarely paid attention to the teacher during class.

"Erasa, what happened to your hair?" Sharpener asked.

"I dyed it," Erasa lied.

"I think you looked hotter before, with blonde hair," Sharpener said.

"Gee, thanks," Erasa said.

Sharpener had changed dramatically when high school started. In middle school, a mere six months ago, he was fun to hang around with. Now in high school, it seemed that he was unable to care about anything other than girls and how hot they were. Erasa and Videl were disappointed by this change in their best male friend.

"Hey, dude," Sharpener said, turning to Gohan. "You got a girlfriend?"

"No...I don't think so," Gohan said.

"You don't _think_ so? You either do or you don't," Sharpener said.

"I don't, then," Gohan said.

"I wish _I_ had a girlfriend," Sharpener said. "None of the girls seem to like me."

"Maybe that's because you talk during class, so they can't hear the teacher," Gohan said, subtly suggesting that Sharpener should be quiet.

"Nah, that can't be it. Class is, like, boring," Sharpener said. "You ever kissed a girl?"

Gohan's face turned slightly red. "That's kind of a personal question," he said. "I just met you ten minutes ago."

"That's totally a yes," Sharpener said. "So dish, dude! Who'd you kiss?"

"You don't have to answer, Gohan," Erasa said. "Sharpie is just a jerk."

"No way, I need tips!" Sharpener said. "I _really_ need to know how to kiss a girl! Come on, we're bros, right? You can tell me!"

"Don't answer him, Gohan!" Videl warned.

"You're not part of this conversation!" Sharpener said.

"I'm sorry," Gohan said. "But I don't think Erasa or Videl want me to talk about kissing them, so I—oops."

Videl smashed her head against her desk, while Sharpener's brain nearly exploded. "You kissed _two_ hotties?" he asked.

"You kissed Videl?" Erasa asked.

"It was a hallucination, brought on by snake poison!" Videl said.

"Was it at the same time, or what?" Sharpener asked.

"No, it wasn't at the same time, you pervert!" Erasa said.

"Children!" the teacher said loudly. "I know that your soap opera lives are _fascinating_, but I'm trying to teach here! If you don't stop talking immediately, I will give you all the proper punishment."

"But I'm not a student at this school," Gohan said.

"Thank you for volunteering, Mr. Visitor," the teacher said. "You get to stand out in the hallway for the rest of the period, while carrying two five-pound buckets of water. Anyone want to join him?"

"No," Erasa said.

"Miss San, thank _you_ for volunteering," the teacher said. "Anyone else want to join them? Anyone else want to speak out of turn?"

The class was silent.

"Good, now let's return to our discussion on nouns."

* * *

><p>It was a good thing that Chi-Chi and Hercule were both hung over, or else they would have started yelling furiously.<p>

"Married," Hercule said. "We got drunk and married each other."

"I don't remember it, but I don't remember much," Chi-Chi said. In fact, the most recent thing she could remember from the previous day was clinging onto Hercule and screaming, "I don't want to be alone again!"

"Uh...what do we do?" Hercule asked. "Do you want to...try it out?"

Chi-Chi held up her head with her hands. "I...don't want to deal with this now," she said. "My son is dead, and my whole world has been turned upside-down. I don't need to worry about a weird wedding."

"I understand," Hercule said. "My Videl...Videl...Oh God, I never thought I'd lose my daughter and my wife within the same year..."

"I was pregnant when Goku died," Chi-Chi said. "God, that was awful."

"Yeah..." Hercule said. "Look, Choo-Choo, you can stay here as long as you need to. Until you're back on your feet again. Then we'll worry about this whole getting married thing."

"Sounds fine to me," Chi-Chi said, staring into the blackness of her coffee cup.

"Right," Hercule said. "I should...I should probably call my lawyer. He'll know what to do."

"Mmm," Chi-Chi said.

Hercule left the kitchen and wandered back upstairs. He figured he'd feel a lot better after he took a shower, then got dressed in new clothes.

* * *

><p>Erasa and Gohan were in the school hallway, both carrying ten pounds of water each. It was a strain on them, and they could barely manage to lift such a great weight...nah, just kidding. They're both half-Saiyans, so holding up ten pounds is a piece of cake for them.<p>

"So, Gohan..." Erasa said.

_Please don't ask about the kiss, please don't ask about the kiss..._ Gohan pleaded silently.

"About that kiss..." Erasa said.

"I don't want to talk about it," Gohan said automatically.

"But we have to!" Erasa said. "I mean...this is hard to say..."

"We don't have to say anything," Gohan said. "In fact, let's not say anything about kissing ever again."

"You're really acting weird," Erasa said. "Usually, guys like it when I kiss them."

"Well, not me!" Gohan said. "I don't care about that sort of—wait, _usually_ guys like kissing you? How many guys have you kissed?"

"Um...four?" Erasa said. "I guess five if you're included, and six if you include the one time that...uh, never mind."

Erasa was referring to her ill-fated kiss with Sharpener. She usually tried to pretend it never happened. Sharpener himself didn't remember the kiss, because shortly after it occurred, he was thrown headfirst into a wall by Videl, and he got a concussion. It's a long story.

Gohan blanched. "You've kissed six people?" he asked. "How is that possible? I don't even _know_ six girls my own age!"

"That's because you live in the middle of nowhere," Erasa said. "But let's not get off-topic. I'm trying to say that maybe I shouldn't have kissed you."

"_Maybe?_" Gohan asked.

"I mean, I _definitely_ shouldn't have kissed you like that," Erasa said. "I didn't give you any warning in advance, and I'm sure it caught you by surprise. I just...I wasn't thinking, that's all. It was really emotional, with you and Videl coming back from the dead."

"Okay..." Gohan said. "I...guess that makes sense. Are...I mean...is...uh..."

"...Yes?" Erasa asked.

"Is it going to happen again?" Gohan said quickly.

"Not unless you want it to..." Erasa said coyly. "Do you? I can give you a proper kiss this time."

Gohan paled. "Please don't," he said. "You're my friend, but you still scare me."

"Oh," Erasa said. "Well, that's your—wait, how do I scare you?"

"All teenage girls are scary," Gohan said. "But your hair situation is really weird, and you act kind of...well, not scary, but it scares me."

"Okay..." Erasa said. "That's fair enough. ...Not really. This hair situation is not my fault! I have no idea what's going on!"

"It's still kind of scary," Gohan said. "I mean, your hair changed color and length. That's not normal."

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly normal either, Mr. Half Alien," Erasa said. "Cut me some slack here."

"I am," Gohan said. "I mean, you're still my friend. I just don't want you to be my _girl_friend."

"Who _do_ you want to be your girlfriend?" Erasa asked.

"No one!" Gohan said. "Mom says I can't have a girlfriend until I'm 18."

"Wow, really?" Erasa asked. "That's kind of harsh. Why?"

"I don't know," Gohan said. "She says it's better that way."

"Okay, but say you _could_ have a girlfriend," Erasa said. "Who would it be? Videl, right?"

"No!" Gohan said hotly. "I...I can't date Videl! She's even scarier than you, and you've kissed six boys!"

"Kissing six guys isn't scary," Erasa said. "Is it?"

"It is absolutely terrifying to me," Gohan said, with 100% seriousness.

And suddenly, Erasa understood why Gohan's mother said he couldn't date anyone until age 18.

"Okay, then," Erasa said. "But if you're so scared of kissing—because clearly, it's freaking you out—why did you kiss Videl?"

"I didn't!" Gohan said. "I mean, she kissed me!"

"When?" Erasa asked. "Where? Why? Come on, give me the details!"

"There's not much to say," Gohan said. "We were in a dangerous situation, and Videl thought she was going to die in a few seconds. So she decided to kiss me, just to see what it was like. That's all."

"Oh," Erasa said. "That's not a very romantic first kiss."

"It wasn't," Gohan agreed. "Which is why I shouldn't date Videl. Nothing romantic is going on between us."

"Have you talked to her about it?" Erasa asked.

"I tried, but she's pretending it never happened," Gohan said.

Erasa sighed. "I'll have to talk to her about that," she said. "But what about you? Did you like it? Do you want to kiss her again?"

"That...that doesn't matter," Gohan said. "She won't ever kiss me again."

"You didn't answer my question, which means your answer is yes," Erasa said. "I can try to set you up with her, if you want. God knows she needs a boyfriend."

"Please don't interfere," Gohan said. Erasa didn't pay attention to that, obviously.

"Yeah...yeah, that could work!" Erasa said, talking mostly to herself. "I mean, it sucks that I have to give up a hunksicle like you, but it could be really great for Videl! She needs to learn about relationships—and so do you, of course—and she'll have a much harder time breaking your legs like that last guy I set her up with—"

"Videl broke some guy's legs?"

"Of course, you're about a foot taller than her, but maybe that won't be such a big issue—or maybe she'll grow a few inches!" Erasa said. "Or maybe you could just walk on your knees for the next few months or so. Either way—"

"I don't like this idea," Gohan said.

"Just because you're an alien doesn't mean you'd be a bad boyfriend. I'm _sure_ I can convince her of that. I mean, she said something like there's no guy in the world she'd ever want to date. You're from out of this world, so that makes you date worthy! Unless you have one of those weird alien tongue things. Ew."

"You're not listening to me!" Gohan said. "This is exactly why I think you're scary!"

"So it's settled!" Erasa said, clapping her hands together. "You and Videl should totally date each other, if it turns out that you're not related."

"..." Gohan said, a sweat-drop forming on his head.

"So who's better at kissing, me or her?" Erasa asked. "Me, right? It's totally me."

Gohan fell over.


	24. A New Threat?

Chi-Chi and Hercule sobered up around lunchtime. By this time, Chi-Chi was starting to get rather angry.

"Hercule!" Chi-Chi shouted, pointing at the large man angrily. "This is all _your_ fault! You tricked me into marrying you!"

"That's ridiculous!" Hercule said. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're single and desperate!" Chi-Chi said. "Let's be honest: no woman in her right mind would ever agree to marry you!"

"That is _so_ not true!" Hercule said. "I'm a rich and famous athlete! Lots of women would _love_ to date me!"

"I don't believe that for a second!" Chi-Chi said. "You're loud, obnoxious, immature, unintelligent, out of touch with the real world, bigheaded, stubborn, foolish—"

"Okay, you made your point already!" Hercule said.

"Good!" Chi-Chi said. "I just want to make sure it's crystal clear that I don't want to be married to you, because you're a horrible brute who tricked me into this marriage!"

"That makes sense, except for one little thing," Hercule said. _"I don't want to be married to you, either!"_

"Oh," Chi-Chi said.

"That's why I called my lawyer," Hercule said. "He sent this to me."

Hercule pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to Chi-Chi.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a copy of our marriage license," Hercule said.

"Signed by both of us, of course," Chi-Chi said, looking at the document. "[Bad word], [bad word], [bad word]! How did this happen?"

"I have no idea," Hercule said. "Oh, God, the tabloids are going to have a field day with this. _Hercule's Drunken Marriage Mishap!_"

"Would you stop worrying about yourself for a change, and start worrying about _me?_" Chi-Chi asked.

"What do _you_ have to worry about?" Hercule asked. "You go from being a single mother with two kids, to a pampered wife living in a mansion! If anyone's benefitting from this marriage, it's _you!_"

"For your information, I'm the Princess of the Ox Kingdom," Chi-Chi said. "I grew up in a castle!"

"Really?" Hercule asked. "Gee, I should have known that you're a princess, because _you're a royal pain in my butt!_"

"That's it," Chi-Chi said. "I want a divorce. There's no way I'm going to stay married to man with the maturity of a three-year-old."

"Fine by me," Hercule said. "Once we get the divorce papers, I'll sign them and—"

"Wait a second," Chi-Chi said. "If I divorce you, doesn't that mean I get half of your money?"

"!"

"Yeah..." Chi-Chi said, rubbing her chin in an evil fashion. "Maybe I could get this mansion, too! _How _many millions do you have, again?"

"On second thought, maybe we could try to make this marriage work," Hercule said. "Heh heh heh..."

* * *

><p>Back at Orange Star High, our teenage friends were reunited for a brief moment at the start of lunch.<p>

"I'm _sooo_ hungry," Gohan said. "What's for lunch?"

"You eat what you brought," Videl said.

"But I didn't pack anything!" Gohan whined.

Videl rolled her eyes in disgust. Why was Gohan acting so immature all of a sudden?

"If you want, you can buy a school lunch," Erasa said. She pointed at one of the students who had a food tray.

Gohan's eyes almost bugged out. _That_ was what they gave the students for lunch? That was barely a mouthful! Gohan needed at least ten times as much food to survive!

"Uh, you know, I think I'll just go back to your house, Videl, and eat lunch there," Gohan said.

"You can't leave school grounds," Videl said. "It's against the rules."

"But I'm not a student here," Gohan pointed out. "I'll be back before lunch ends, okay?"

"No, that's not—" Videl began to say, but it was too late. Gohan had already flown off, seeking a way to fill his insatiable belly.

"Boys," Videl scoffed. "They're all idiots."

"It's just as well," Erasa said. "We should talk."

"Uh oh," Videl said.

"When were you planning on telling me that you kissed Gohan?" Erasa asked.

"That was just an illusion, brought on by snake poison," Videl said. "It never happened."

"_Suuure,_ I believe that," Erasa said. "So if you kissed him, that means you're hot for him."

"I do _not_ like him," Videl said. "I don't like _any_ boys."

"Uh huh," Erasa said. "Look, I know you're not gay, because you're not attracted to me. That means you have to like boys. And I'm pretty sure I know _which _boy."

"Shut it," Videl said. "_You're_ the one with a crush on Gohan, not me. You kissed him on the Lookout Place yesterday."

"That was just an illusion, brought on by snake poison," Erasa quipped. "It never happened."

"I hate you," Videl said.

"Look, I fully support the idea of you and Gohan becoming a couple," Erasa said. "I talked things over with him, and we both agreed that you two are good for each other."

"In other words, you tried to flirt with him, and he broke things off with you," Videl said. "And setting me up with him is Plan B, just like what happened with Ralph."

_Dang, she's good,_ Erasa thought. _Maybe I __have__ tried to set her up with too many guys in the past..._

"Okay, so _maybe_ I think Gohan is a hottie," Erasa said. "But I'm willing to sacrifice him for your sake, Videl. You _need_ a boyfriend."

"I don't _need_ anything," Videl said. "I'm perfectly fine being single."

"But he'd be the perfect boyfriend!" Erasa said. "He's smart, funny, he's super handsome, and you two are already best friends."

"He is _not_ my best friend," Videl said. "We're more like casual acquaintances."

"Pfff, that's a huge lie," Erasa said. "You two have been through a lot together. Besides, look at things from his point of view. How many _other_ girls besides us are willing to spend time with him?"

"No one," Videl said.

"And if he ever _did_ get a girlfriend, she'd dump him the instant she learned that he's half-alien," Erasa said.

"Half-alien, just like you," Videl said.

"We don't know that for certain yet," Erasa said. "My _point_ is that you're the best possible match for him. No other girl would give him the time of day, but you and him have the martial arts fighting bond thingy."

"I'm not going to consider it," Videl said. "Gohan's my friend, and I like that. I'm not going to screw that up by trying to date him. Things are screwed up enough as it is right now."

"I'm just saying you should keep an open mind," Erasa said. "He _was_ your first kiss, after all. You don't want to burn your bridges with him."

"Thanks for the advice," Videl said in an ungrateful tone.

"You're welcome!" Erasa said, resisting the urge to do a happy dance. As far as Erasa could tell, Videl was now extremely interested in Gohan. Matchmaking success!

* * *

><p>Gohan flew to Hercule's mansion, but the front door was locked. He rang the doorbell.<p>

Chi-Chi was the first person to reach the door. She pulled it opened and almost immediately fell over.

"GOHAN?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Mom!" Gohan said, helping her get back up. "I missed you so much!"

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi said, hugging her son. "How are you here? They told us you were dead!"

"I _was_ dead," Gohan said. "But we used the dragonballs to bring me and Videl back to life."

"Videl...the loudmouth's daughter?" Chi-Chi asked. "I can't believe you made friends with her, Gohan! She's entirely the wrong sort of person, and—oh, I don't care! _You're alive again!_"

Chi-Chi hugged Gohan again, then pulled back.

"Oh, and before I forget, you're grounded forever," Chi-Chi said. "Now come on in, and let's have lunch."

"Yay!" Gohan said.

Hercule was in the kitchen, eating a sandwich, when Chi-Chi and Gohan came in.

"Hey there," Hercule said. "Who's the kid?"

"He's your new stepson," Chi-Chi said. "Hercule, meet Gohan."

"No...no way!" Gohan said. "You two aren't _really_ married, are you?"

"I'm afraid so," Chi-Chi said.

"_You_," Hercule said. "I remember you, Punk! Everything in my life was fine until _you_ showed up! Now my daughter's dead, and I'm married to this monster, and it's _all your fault!_"

"Videl isn't dead," Gohan said.

"Whuh...what?" Hercule asked.

"Videl and I are both alive," Gohan said. "Erasa shouldn't have told you that we died. We didn't."

Hercule fell over. "My baby girl is still alive?" he asked. "Oh, God! Oh, God! Thank you, God! This is...this is...THIS IS HORRIBLE!"

"What?" Gohan and Chi-Chi asked.

"The only reason I married that [bad word] is because I [bad word] thought my daughter was dead!" Hercule cried. "Now you're saying Videl is perfectly okay? So I married that screeching harpy for nothing? AAAAUUUAAAAHHH!"

"You're the worst husband ever!" Chi-Chi yelled.

"You're the worst wife ever!" Hercule said.

If Erasa was there, she would say it was true love.

* * *

><p>Vegeta was sleeping inside his space pod when a beeping sound woke him up. It was the sound of an incoming video call on the video screen.<p>

Vegeta tapped the "accept" button. Bulma's face filled the screen.

"Vegeta?" Bulma asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, of course I can," Vegeta said.

"Why did you ask me to call you?" she asked. "I thought you said you didn't want me interfering with your _super important Saiyan business_."

"I've got bad news," Vegeta said. "I just found out there's another Saiyan on the Planet Earth."

"WHAT?" Bulma screeched.

"Well, a half-Saiyan, half-Kazrian," Vegeta said. "The child was sent to Earth as a baby, almost thirteen years ago."

"So he'd be around Gohan's age," Bulma said.

"She," Vegeta corrected. "The Saiyan is a girl named Erasa."

"Well, that's interesting," Bulma said. "I wonder why she didn't show up during the Cell Games."

"Didn't you hear me?" Vegeta asked. "I said she's about to turn thirteen, in Saiyan years!"

"So?" Bulma asked.

"Ugh," Vegeta said. "I must not have told you about this. When a Saiyan female turns thirteen, it's...it's very bad."

"Bad? How so?" Bulma asked.

"Bad as in she could easily destroy the entire planet," Vegeta said. "When my mother, Queen Vegeta, went through this, she killed three-fourths of the population of Frieza Planet #248."

Bulma went silent for a moment, trying to process this information. The planet was in danger from a teenage girl? Vegeta's mother was _also_ named Vegeta? Why couldn't Frieza come up with better names for the planets he conquered?

"I don't get it," Bulma said. "Why do Saiyan girls become dangerous when they turn thirteen?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Vegeta asked. "It's because they...wait. How long does human puberty last?"

"Six years," Bulma said.

"Ah," Vegeta said. "With Saiyans, it takes about a week. That way, we can reach peak fighting ability as quickly as possible, and we can stay in that condition for as long as possible."

"Fascinating," Bulma said. Clearly, she needed to learn more about Saiyan biology. "So you're saying that she's going to hit puberty when she turns thirteen. How is that dangerous, though?"

"It's apparently a painful process," Vegeta said. "I am not a woman, so I wouldn't know. But because women are emotional and unable to control themselves normally—"

"Watch it, Mister," Bulma warned.

"Er, that is, it's a painful process, and it makes Saiyan females angry," Vegeta said. "Very, very angry."

"I see," Bulma said. "And when they get angry, they blow things up."

"Exactly," Vegeta said.

It made some sense to Bulma. Saiyans were naturally destructive. Going through some kind of painful puberty could only make a Saiyan _more_ destructive than normal.

"I'm returning to Earth as soon as I can," Vegeta said. "Hopefully, we can isolate the Saiyan before she hits puberty. If not, well, I'll do my best to stop her from killing what's left of the human population."

"What about Gohan?" Bulma asked. "Surely, he could stop an out-of-control Saiyan."

"If Kakarott's brat could handle hormonal women, he wouldn't be bossed around by his mother all the time," Vegeta said dismissively.

"Fair point," Bulma said. "But I'll warn him, anyway."

"Good," Vegeta said. "I don't have an official date for when this is going to happen—I'd have one if we knew what day she was born on—but I _can_ tell you that it's going to happen during a full moon."

"A full moon?" Bulma asked.

"Yes," Vegeta said. "That's one of the triggers for this event. When is the next full moon on Earth?"

"Let me look it up," Bulma said. She did a quick search on one of her laptops, then grimaced.

"Well?" Vegeta asked.

"The last full moon was three days ago," she said. "Nothing bad happened then."

Bulma didn't know it, of course, but that was the day Erasa had gone Super Saiyan 3 and destroyed Majin Buu.

"So that means we'll have to be on high alert during the next full moon," Vegeta said. "Otherwise, the Saiyan girl could easily kill us all."

"I kind of doubt that she's strong enough to destroy the world, if we've never heard from her before now," Bulma said. "But still, I guess we should look out for this."

* * *

><p>Back at Orange Star High, Erasa was being lectured by the homeroom teacher, Mr. Brown.<p>

"I checked with the school offices," he said. "You didn't get permission for Mr. Son to accompany you to school today."

"Um...maybe they lost his paperwork?" Erasa guessed.

"Then both you and him caused a disturbance in class," Mr. Brown said. "This behavior is completely unacceptable."

"I'm sorry," Erasa said.

"As a result, I'm giving you detention today," Mr. Brown said. "Maybe next time, you'll think before you break the rules."

"Detention?" Erasa asked. "Come on, that's totally ridiculous!"

"Talk back, and it's two detentions," Mr. Brown threatened.

Erasa slammed her fist on Mr. Brown's desk. The desk fell into pieces from the impact.

Mr. Brown blinked. "Three detentions," he said. "See you after school."

"[Bad word]!" Erasa shouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I caught a little bit of the series finale of _DragonBall Z Kai_, the other day. I feel somewhat disappointed that the series ends with the defeat of Cell, instead of continuing on to High School Gohan's adventures.

Right after the series finale, they showed the second Broly movie. I thought that was a weird decision. All of the DBZ Kai fans must have been completely confused the whole time, because they don't know who Videl or Goten are, and because they've never seen Adult Gohan before. Why didn't they show the movie that takes place shortly after the Cell Games? That would have made more sense.

The TV commercials said that DragonBall Z fans shouldn't worry, even though DBZ Kai has come to an end. There's still plenty more DragonBall Z on the way! For a moment, I was excited. "No way!" I said. "They're going to air the Majin Buu saga!" That makes some sense, right? They'll just re-air the original DBZ episodes for the Buu storyline. I think fans of Kai might be willing to put up with the filler-tastic Saiyaman adventures, if given the option between "never seeing these episodes" and "seeing these episodes, with all of the filler left in".

Well...the commercial continued, and it turns out that that the new DragonBall Z material...is DragonBall GT.

Uh oh.

Again, I think the poor DBZ Kai fans will be completely confused when they skip from the end of the Cell Saga straight to DBGT.

Kid Goku featured prominently in the commercial for GT, as "the brand new hero". For some reason, the commercial specifically avoided saying the name "Goku". Maybe—and this is a completely ridiculous idea—GT Kid Goku won't be Goku, anymore. Maybe we'll have a brand new translation, and they'll try to pass off Kid Goku as a completely new character. They could say the whole show takes place 100 years after the original, and they can pass off the entire cast as the descendants of the original show.

I would be highly tempted to watch if that was the case. I think that would be _hilarious_. And it makes a lot of sense, too. I'd have an easier time believe Mustache Vegeta is one of Vegeta's weird descendants, compared to believing that Mustache Vegeta is the boring Middle-Aged Vegeta who gets bossed around by his daughter all the time.


	25. Gohan Checks His Email

**Author's Note: **I guess my author's note at the end of the last chapter is obsolete now. It turns out that they're _not_ finished with DBZ Kai. I saw a TV spot which bragged that, next week, they're airing..._the lost episode!_

The preview showed that it was the episode after Cell dies. You know, the one where everyone is on the Lookout, and they try to wish Goku back to life. But Goku says he'd rather stay dead, and then they're stuck figuring out what the second wish should be. Then Krillin basically wastes the wish by asking for the bombs to be removed from the bodies of Android 17 and 18. Was there really any danger of those two deciding to self-destruct?

I'm not sure this qualifies as a "lost episode" of DBZ Kai. I think it's just the next episode of the series, and they're just pretending it was lost for a while, to build up some hype.

Besides, they're airing it only a week after the episode where Gohan kills Cell. They couldn't have lost the episode for _that_ long.

* * *

><p>Gohan returned to Orange Star High before lunch ended. Videl was waiting for him outside the classroom.<p>

"Hey, Videl," Gohan said. "What's up?"

"We need to talk," she said. "About Erasa."

"What's wrong?" Gohan asked.

"Is there a chance that she's...not Erasa?" Videl asked. "I mean, she's not blonde anymore, and ever since the whole Buu situation, she's been acting weird."

"I don't think she's been acting weird," Gohan said.

"I guess you haven't heard that she just got sent home for breaking the teacher's desk, then cussing him out," Videl said.

"Oh," Gohan said. "That's weird."

"But then there are times when she acts just like her normal self," Videl said. "Like earlier, when she was talking about me getting a boyfriend again."

Gohan's face fell. "You've had boyfriends, too?" he asked, sounding slightly upset. "Erasa said she kissed _six _boys! Does _everyone_ besides me have relationship experience?"

"Woah, calm down, Champ," Videl said. "I meant that she was bugging me about it again, not that I've dated a lot of people."

"Oh," Gohan said. "Sorry, I thought...never mind."

"Yeah, well, _don't_ think that," Videl said. "I don't date anyone. Ever."

"Because your dad doesn't allow it, right?" Gohan asked. "My mom doesn't allow it, either."

"No, it's because _I_ don't allow it," Videl said. "I mean, hello? I'm thirteen. There's no reason for me to be looking for a lifelong commitment, like the rest of the morons here."

"I don't think wanting a girlfriend makes you a moron," Gohan said quietly.

Videl crossed her arms. "I guess it's _possible_ for a guy to find a girlfriend in a non-moronic way, but none of the guys here are capable of that. They just hit on anyone and everyone they can find."

"I don't do that," Gohan said.

"It's only a matter of time before you do," Videl said. "Anyway, we're not talking about how guys are pigs. We're talking about Erasa."

"Er, right," Gohan said. "I talked with her earlier in the hallway, and..."

"And what?" Videl asked. "What did she do?"

"Mostly, she just wanted to talk about kissing," Gohan said. "She seems kind of fixated on it. Hey, does that mean all girls are pigs, too?"

"Not all of them are, but a lot of girls are over-obsessed with relationships, just like guys," Videl said. "It's sad."

"I guess I know what you mean," Gohan said. Now that he was getting older, he was finally beginning to understand some of Master Roshi's more outrageous antics. "But Erasa wasn't acting _that_ weird today. She seemed like her normal self."

"Huh," Videl said. "Well, then I guess maybe we shouldn't be worried that she flipped out on the teacher, then. Maybe she was just a little stressed."

"That makes sense to me, I guess," Gohan said. "After I killed Cell, it took me a few weeks to get back to normal. Erasa's probably having the same problem, 'cause she killed Majin Buu."

"Shhh!" Videl said. She covered Gohan's mouth with her hand. "Don't mention that stuff in public!"

"Mmmh!" Gohan said, then he removed her hand. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't know you were still..."

"Still what?" Videl asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Supporting your dad?" Gohan asked. "I mean, now that you know he's a huge liar and faker who couldn't outfight a girl scout troop?"

Videl smacked Gohan. "Do you _not_ understand the idea of being discreet in public?" she asked. "Someone could overhear us!"

"Sorry again," Gohan said.

"Besides, I knew all along that Dad couldn't outfight a girl scout troop," Videl said. "_My_ girl scout troop attacked him once."

"Uh..." Gohan said.

"It's a long story, and I'll tell you later," Videl said. "Let's just get to class now."

* * *

><p>Erasa was fuming as she marched home. She wasn't mad that she got kicked out of school for the day. No, she actually liked that. But what she <em>didn't<em> like was the fact that she got no respect from the people at the principal's office.

"Some gratitude," Erasa said to herself. "I saved the world, and I still get treated like crud. If it wasn't for me, everyone would be dead right now!"

"Do you always talk to yourself?" a passerby asked.

"SHUT IT!" Erasa said. She picked the man up and threw him into a tree that was twenty yards away.

"I was just joking!" the man screamed as he flew through the air.

"I saved the world!" Erasa said. "I should get a parade and a huge statue, like Hercule did! Planet Earth should treat me better! _I am Erasa, the all-powerful destroyer of worlds!_"

Erasa suddenly stopped, as she realized what she was saying.

"Woah, where did _that_ come from?" she asked. "I need to calm down."

Some jerk from the other side of the street whistled at Erasa. "Hey, Babe, you're hot!" he called.

"RRRRRRR!" Erasa shouted. She powered up to Super Saiyan and flew at the man, intent on causing him great pain.

* * *

><p>Hours later, once school was over, Gohan and Videl went back to Hercule's Mansion. Their trip was rather uneventful. Videl told Gohan the humorous story of Hercule's defeat at the hands of some nine-year-old girl scouts.<p>

"He was in the hospital for a week after that," Videl said as she unlocked the door. "Mom tried to pretend he lost on purpose, but I knew he wasn't faking."

"That's crazy," Gohan said. "The only time my dad went to the hospital was when—"

"VIDELLLLLLLLLL!" a voice shouted.

Hercule was at the top of the stairs, and he ran down them to meet Videl. He tripped on the third step and fell the rest of the way, but he managed to pick himself up and embrace his beloved daughter in a bone-crushing hug that was stronger than any of the punches he had ever given Cell.

"You're not dead! You're not dead!" Hercule cried.

"I'm not," Videl said.

"_Oh my God, I love you so much!_" Hercule cried.

"I love you, too, Daddy," Videl said, while giving Gohan an intense _If you ever tell anyone about this, I will rip out your intestines_ glare.

Hercule eventually stopped crying and composed himself. "What—what _happened?_" he asked. "Where have you been for the last three days? Why did that girl say you were dead?"

"It's a long story," Videl said. "We were fighting this villain named Majin Buu and...things got really weird. We couldn't get back until yesterday."

"I don't believe this!" Hercule said. "You should leave the fighting up to _me!_ You're just a couple of kids!"

"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Videl said. "I'm a teenager now!"

"A _grounded_ teenager," Hercule said. "I think running away from home for three days deserves being grounded for three months. No TV or Internet."

"Dad, that's so unfair!" Videl said. "I helped save the world!"

"I highly doubt that," Hercule said, crossing his arms. "I don't think a pink bubblegum monster is capable of destroying the world."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in Hell...<em>

Majin Buu was sitting on the floor of his jail cell. He was busy amusing himself.

"Buu like candy," Buu said.

Majin Buu ripped off a huge chunk of his stomach, and he stretched it like taffy.

"Turn into...chocolate!" Buu shouted.

Majin Buu's magical chocolate powers turned the pink piece of Buu into chocolate. Buu promptly ate it, then tore off another piece of his body. He turned _this_ one into chocolate.

The villains in the cell across from Majin Buu watched this spectacle of cannibalism in disgust.

"Hey, Bibidi," one of the inmates said. "You made that Majin Buu creature to destroy the entire universe, right?"

"Right!" Bibidi bragged. "He's an indestructible force!"

"Why did you give him the power to turn things into candy?" the criminal asked. "What made you think that the ultimate destruction monster could possibly need candy powers?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Bibidi said, shrugging.

* * *

><p><em>And Back on Earth...<em>

For the first time in over a week, Gohan was able to check his email.

"Thanks again," Gohan told Videl. They were in her bedroom, and he was using the computer on the study desk.

"Yeah, no prob," Videl said. She was lying on her bed, trying to come to grips with her new living situation. "What are step-siblings for?"

"Right..." Gohan said. "Anyway, thanks a bunch, Sis."

Videl shuddered. "Don't ever call me that again," she ordered.

"I was just trying to make the best of the situation," Gohan muttered to himself. "I'm weirded out by this whole thing, too. The only girl I like, and she has to be related to me...ONLY ONE EMAIL?"

"Wow, you're unpopular," Videl said.

The email was short and to the point.

_Gohan,_

_Call me immediately._

_-Bulma_

"Who's Bulma?" Videl asked.

"Ack!" Gohan said, falling off the chair. "Don't read over my shoulder!"

"Who is he?" Videl asked.

"_She _is a close, personal friend," Gohan said.

Videl laughed. "No, seriously, who is she?"

"I can have close, personal friends!" Gohan said, offended.

"You, close to a girl I don't know?" Videl asked. "So close that she gave you her phone number, even? Somehow, I doubt that."

"Why?" Gohan asked. "Girls can give me their phone numbers if they want."

"You are _not_ a ladies' man," Videl said. "Don't try to pretend otherwise. You'll just embarrass yourself."

"You know, I've noticed you always turn mean when you're talking about girlfriends," Gohan said. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"What?" Videl asked.

"Jealous of the other girls, who get to have boyfriends when you don't?" Gohan asked.

"That is the most ridiculous—"

" 'Cause I am," Gohan said. "Jealous that all the other kids know about dating, when I don't. It's not fair. It's like...five years from now, when Mom says I can start dating, I'll be so far behind everyone else that I'll never catch up."

Videl sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. "It's not fair. But what can we do? Our stupid parents are dumb and stupid, and it totally sucks that they're married now."

"Why?" Gohan asked. "I mean, I know why, but humor me. Why does it suck that we're related now? Don't you like me?"

"Don't be stupid," Videl said. "You know I like you. Just...not as a brother."

Gohan smiled. "Great," he said. "I don't like you as a sister, either. I like you as a...uh..."

"_Please_ don't say what I think you're gonna say..." Videl said.

"..." Gohan said. "I like you, as a friend who lets me use her laptop to check my email."

"In other words, I'm the best friend ever," Videl said.

"Right," Gohan said. "You're...my best friend."

Videl smiled. "I'm glad to be your best friend," she said. "And you're _my _best friend. Well...best _guy_ friend, at any rate."

"Cool," Gohan said. "Can I borrow your phone to call Bulma now?"

Videl threw a pillow at Gohan. "I told you, you're not allowed to have a girl's phone number if I don't know her!" she said.

* * *

><p>Videl let Gohan have the phone, once he explained that Bulma was over twice his age, married and had a child.<p>

"You had me worried there for a sec," Videl said, handing over her precious cell phone.

Fortunately, Gohan had Bulma's phone number memorized, mainly because it was the only phone number he knew. He called her number at Capsule Corp., and the blue-haired scientist was able to pick up quickly.

"I got your email," Gohan said. "What's up?"

"Well..." Bulma said. "I'm not sure how to say this. I've got...weird news for you."

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"Vegeta says that there's another half-Saiyan here on Planet Earth," Bulma said. "It's a girl named Erasa."

"Erasa?" Gohan asked, shocked.

"Huh?" Videl asked.

"That's her Saiyan name, obviously," Bulma said. "I'm guessing her Earth name is something normal like Jennifer. Anyway, she's about to turn thirteen, which means she's going to go through Saiyan puberty."

"I've never heard of that puberty before," Gohan said.

"What?" Videl asked.

"Me neither," Bulma said. "Apparently, only Saiyan girls go through it, and it's really horrendous. They tend to destroy entire planets when it happens."

"Just like when they turn into great apes, I bet," Gohan said.

"What the heck kind of conversation are you having?" Videl demanded.

"Vegeta seems to think so," Bulma said. "He says we need to find this girl and isolate her, before she undergoes the—what did he call it? Oh, yeah, the transformation into her second form."

Vegeta was the only person in the known universe who described puberty in those terms.

"He says he's coming back to Earth as soon as possible, to sort out this whole mess," Bulma said. "But I thought I'd give you a heads-up that there's another half-Saiyan here."

"Thanks," Gohan said. "Actually...I think I know the girl you're looking for. Erasa's one of my friends."

"No way," Bulma said.

"If she's half-Saiyan...that would explain some things," Gohan said, not wanting to go into detail about the fight with Majin Buu.

"What things?" Bulma asked.

"I think she can go Super Saiyan," Gohan said. "Her hair changed drastically over the last few days."

"Of course," Bulma sighed. "You know, Vegeta acts like the Super Saiyan transformation is _sooo_ special, and it hasn't been seen in thousands of years, and before you know it, we've got four Super Saiyans on our hands in no time flat."

"She hasn't gone out of control and started attacking anyone, though," Gohan said. "Just her teacher. And...uh oh."

"What is it?"

"_When_ did you say this was going to happen?" Gohan asked.

"Three days ago," Bulma said. "At the full moon. Of course, it could be next month's full moon, or the next month's. We're not sure for certain because we don't have her birth records."

"So...she could be out there, right now, ready to destroy the planet in a fit of rage?" Gohan asked.

* * *

><p>"I will destroy you!" Erasa shouted. "I will lay waste to you, utterly! I shall crush you into little pieces with my teeth and swallow you for dinner!"<p>

Erasa reached her hand down and grabbed the cheeseburger she had been threatening, then put it in her mouth and chewed.

"Ha!" she said. "I told you! I am your master, Mr. Cheeseburger! Bow down to me!"

The people in the booth next to Erasa were a little freaked out to see her playing with her food, but Erasa still thought it was fun.

* * *

><p>Once Gohan finished talking with Bulma, Videl called Erasa. They were going to ask Erasa to come over, so they could determine once and for all if she was half-Saiyan—and an imminent threat to the planet's existence—but Erasa didn't pick up her cell phone. So Videl just left a message, asking Erasa to call back as soon as possible.<p>

"I still have a hard time believing _Erasa_ is going to destroy the world," Videl said.

"It's just a possibility," Gohan said. "Bulma's probably wrong. She doesn't know Erasa like we do."

"SON! GOHAN? COME DOWN HERE!" Chi-Chi yelled from downstairs.

Gohan opened Videl's door. "WHAT?" he called.

"WE'VE GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SEE!" Chi-Chi said. "BRING VIDEL, TOO!"

"Guess that means we should go downstairs," Gohan said.

"Okay," Videl said, getting off her bed. "Wonder what it is."

"No one knows for sure except the author," Gohan said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Chi-Chi and Hercule are about to play the get-out-of-marriage free card that I set up several chapters ago. Have fun guessing what it is, until the next chapter!

And something popped into my mind this chapter. Remember the episodes where Vegito (Goku and Vegeta fused) fights Buu? At the end of one of the episodes, there's a big cliffhanger, where Buu turns Vegito into candy. Then Buu does an evil laugh while the camera zooms out and the narrator acts horrified by this turn of events.

Then, in the next episode, the Vegito candy suddenly has the power to talk and fight. In fact, Vegito is even _more_ unstoppable of a fighter than he was before, because he's super fast as a piece of candy. The candy beats up Buu for a while, until Buu turns him back into a human.

The sheer ridiculousness of that sequence didn't hit me until now.

How was Vegito-Candy able to talk? Candies don't have mouths! And how was it able to fly and move around? Every other person that Buu turned into candy lost the power to move and talk. Why is Vegito so special?

Be more logical, DragonBall Z! I expect only the highest logical standards to be set by a show starring a candy-loving monster made out of pink candy who is fighting two aliens that have fused together by means of magical earrings.


	26. Blue at Orange Star High

"So, this is it," Videl said, looking at Hercule and Chi-Chi's marriage contract. "This is the piece of paper that has ruined our lives."

"Now, honey, marriage is more than just a piece of paper," Hercule said. "It's a soul-binding ceremony, in which—"

"I don't think Gohan's mother _has_ a soul," Videl said.

Chi-Chi slammed the table with her fist. "You saucy little brat!" Chi-Chi said. "You'd better change your attitude, if you plan to live with me!"

"So we're living here from now on?" Gohan asked.

"We might as well," Chi-Chi said. "This mansion has plenty of room for us. We'll just convert our old house into a summer home."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to move here," Gohan said.

"Hey, wait a second!" Videl said. "Dad, you signed your name here as _Hercule Satan_."

"Yeah?" Hercule said.

"But that's not your real name," Videl said. "That's your stage name."

Hercule's eyes went wide. "Do you think that makes a difference?" he asked. "That I didn't sign it as Stan Hercules?"

"Maybe!" Videl said. "I mean, Hercule Satan doesn't really exist! So he couldn't have married Chi-Chi Son!"

"That could work!" Chi-Chi said. "I've heard that getting married under an assumed name is cause for annulment!"

"I'm not so sure about this..." Gohan said.

"I'll call my lawyer right away!" Hercule said. "If you're right, Videl, maybe the marriage is invalid!"

* * *

><p>And of course, Hercule's lawyer confirmed that Videl was right. Hercule's marriage to Chi-Chi was 100% invalid, because it was performed under false pretenses.<p>

This made for a slightly awkward goodbye, as Chi-Chi left with her two sons, a half-hour later.

"So, um...bye," Hercule said. "It was...nice? To be married to you? For a little bit?"

Hercule kept leaning in closer and closer to Chi-Chi, until she pushed him away.

"If you try to kiss me, I will kill you," Chi-Chi said.

"Wow, Gohan, your mom is cooler than I thought," Videl said. "Too bad you guys _aren't_ living here after all."

Gohan sniffed sadly.

"Huh?" Videl asked. "What's wrong?"

Gohan hugged Videl tightly. "I'm gonna miss youuu!" he cried.

"Woah, calm down," Videl said. "It's not like we're never going to see each other again."

"Actually, that's _exactly_ what it's like," Chi-Chi said, grabbing Gohan by the collar and dragging him away. "If you think I'm going to let my family anywhere near you psychos again, you're crazy."

Hercule nodded. "Finally, we agree on something," he said.

Videl looked back and forth between Chi-Chi and Hercule. "But—but you can't stop me from seeing Gohan! That's unfair!"

"Of course it's fair," Hercule said. "After all, you're grounded for the next three months, remember? You're not allowed to leave the house."

"But...Gohan is a nice guy," Videl said, as if that explained everything. In a way, it did. Gohan was a dweeb, but he was much nicer than all the other boys at her school.

"Of course he's nice," Chi-Chi said. "_I _raised him. You, on the other hand, were raised by Captain Crazy Fro, so you have the manners of a deranged dinosaur. Stay away from us."

"Mom..." Gohan whined softly. He got a swift slap to the head for that.

"Oh, and no trying to contact him through the Internet," Hercule said. "I know you two first met each other through em-mail. That was a mistake."

_"For the last [bad word] time, it's not called em-mail!" _Videl shouted.

There was a silent pause, as anger crawled onto Hercule's face.

"Swearing will get you grounded for _another_ month!" Hercule said. "Now go back to your room and stay there!"

Videl screamed, then stormed back inside the mansion.

Chi-Chi tsked. "Such language for a young woman! Where did she learn it?"

"Probably from you," Gohan said. "You were yelling really loudly earlier, and ow—ow—owww! Mooom! That hurts!"

* * *

><p>Erasa wasn't seen again until the next day at school.<p>

"Hey, Videl," Erasa said. "I'm blonde again! Isn't that great?"

"Erasa, you were supposed to call me last night!" Videl said. "Didn't you get my message?"

"Sorry, I didn't turn my phone on yesterday," Erasa said. "I turned it off when I went to the movies, and I guess I forgot to turn it back on."

"You went to the movies yesterday?" Videl asked.

"Yeah, well, there was nothing else to do when I got sent home early," Erasa said. "So what'd you want to talk about?"

"First off, it turns out that my dad isn't married to Gohan's mom after all," Videl said.

"Hooray!" Erasa said. "Now you can make out with him! I mean, you could have done that anyway because you were only step-siblings, but still!"

"And second, he moved back to his home in the middle of nowhere," Videl said.

"He—_what?_"

"And I'm grounded, so I can't see him or send him emails," Videl said. "All because you had to freak our parents out by telling them we were dead! Thanks a lot, Erasa!"

"This isn't _my_ fault!" Erasa said. "Is it?"

"Of course it is!" Videl said. "And I'm not talking to you unless you fix it!"

"Aha!" Erasa said. "So you _do_ want to see Gohan again! It's true lo—"

"No, you idiot!" Videl said. "I was talking about me being grounded! Find a way to get me _un_grounded, or else!"

"Oh," Erasa said. "Well...I guess I'll talk to your dad and see what I can do?"

"Hmph," Videl said. "You'll have to do better than that, or I'll be locked in my house for the rest of high school."

"That's not so bad," Erasa said. "I mean, you _do_ live in a giant mansion. Your TV is larger than my kitchen!"

"So I should be _happy_ that I'm grounded?" Videl asked. "Gee, great, maybe I can ask you to get me in trouble for even _longer_ next time! Jerk."

Erasa pouted, while Videl turned around and marched up the steps to her normal seat.

"Hey, Videl," Sharpener said.

"Shut it," Videl said, throwing her backpack down on the ground.

"Touchy," Sharpener said to himself.

Videl sighed, then looked out the window. She wondered what Gohan was doing at that exact moment...

* * *

><p>Time for a musical interlude! Gohan and Videl's mutual attraction is so great, it can only be expressed in song.<p>

Gohan is sitting at his desk in his room, staring out the window. He, too, is wondering what Videl is doing at that moment. He taps his pencil aimlessly on a paper. Then, the pencil turns into a microphone, and Gohan breaks into song.

_I'm back here in my home  
>And I am all alone<em>

_The only boy besides me is my brother,  
>The only girl within a hundred miles is my mother...<em>

_There's also a dragon named Icarus  
>And I'm sick-arus<br>Without you..._

The scene switches to Orange Star High. The teacher is giving a lecture, and all the students are paying attention, except for Videl. She puts the finishing touches on a doodle of her beating up Majin Buu, then she looks out the window and sighs.

Videl's textbook turns into a headset. She puts it on, and she starts singing

_I'm here at Orange Star High  
>And the subjects sure seems dry<em>

_Erasa is a blonde again,  
>Sharpener is...ah, no one cares about him.<em>

_It's **Orange** Star High, but I am **blue,**  
>Without you...<em>

The other students in the class stare at Videl in confusion. No one knows why she has started a power ballad about love in the middle of a math class.

_Gohan, I don't care that you're half-alien,  
>I'd give a hundred bucks to see you again,<em>

_You're the greatest guy I've ever met,  
>And I'm not through with you yet!<em>

Gohan has somehow acquired a life-size poster of Videl, and he is singing passionately to it.

_Videl, I don't care that your dad is a liar  
>As long as I have you to admire.<em>

_You're the greatest girl I've ever met,  
>And I'm not through with you yet!<em>

Videl jumps on her desk and does a flip in midair as an impressive guitar solo plays. The screen breaks into half, with Gohan on the left and Videl on the right. They sing at the same time.

_I never told you how I feel!  
>Could my attraction be real?<em>

_Are you really the one for me?  
>Could it be?<br>Maybe..._

_BABY, I WISH I HADN'T BEEN SO SHY!  
>I KEPT MY DISTANCE. NOW I WONDER WHY<br>I NEVER KISSED YOU  
>LIKE I WANTED TO!<em>

Suddenly, Videl is there in Gohan's room. She smiles and giggles at him, but when he tries to grab her hand, she disappears into nothingness. He sighs as the music slows down.

_You were my best friend, but you're gone  
>It's time for me to move on...<em>

Videl closes her eyes and holds her hand over her heart.

_You're my favorite guy.  
>I miss you so bad that I could cry.<em>

_It's **Orange** Star High, but I am **blue**..._

Videl and Gohan sing the last line at the same time, harmonizing perfectly.

_Without you..._

* * *

><p>"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi shouted. "You'd better not be singing a duet in there!"<p>

"Sorry Mom!" Gohan said. "I'll get back to my studies right away!"

* * *

><p>"Um, Videl?" the teacher asked. "Do you need to see the nurse?"<p>

Videl turned red. "Sorry, Mr. Brown!" she said. "I didn't mean to interrupt class!"

* * *

><p><em>In Outer Space...<em>

Vegeta woke up from his nap.

"Why do I get the feeling that this story just became a whole lot stupider?" he wondered out loud. Then he checked the computer. It would still take nine days for him to reach Earth.

_Hopefully, I'll make it to Earth before the half-Saiyan transforms,_ Vegeta thought. _If I'm too late, showing up on Earth would be even more pointless than holding a dinner conversation with my parents._

Vegeta could remember the last time he had dinner with his parents, even though it was over twenty years ago. It occurred only two days before both King Vegeta and Queen Vegeta were killed by Frieza. The conversation at that meal went something like this:

"So, Vegeta."

"Yes?"

"Not you, Vegeta. I meant Vegeta."

"What is it, Vegeta?"

"It's about Vegeta."

"What about me?"

"Not _you_, Vegeta!"

"Then, you're talking about...Vegeta?"

"Right, Vegeta?"

"Are you talking to me? Vegeta?"

"No! Yes?"

"Vegeta!"

"Vegeta..."

"VEGETA!"

_Naming all of the members of the Royal Family after the planet was a stupid idea,_ Vegeta had thought at the time. _When I become the Saiyan King, that'll be the first law I'll change._

There was actually a reason why Vegeta was still the Saiyan Prince, not the Saiyan King. In order to become the king, Vegeta would have to swallow his pride and do the unthinkable.

...He would have to grow a mustache.

* * *

><p>Sixteen minutes later, something interesting happened.<p>

_Gohan?_ a voice from nowhere asked.

"AUGH!" Gohan shouted, falling backwards in his chair. "Who—who's there?"

_It's me, King Kai,_ the voice said_. What are you doing?_

"I'm studying," Gohan said. "Mom says I'm grounded until I get a perfect score on the GREs, so I thought I'd get started."

_But your planet is in __**danger!**_ King Kai said. _Erasa the Half-Saiyan could snap any second now and start attacking everyone!_

"Oh, man!" Gohan said. "We were so preoccupied with moving back here that I completely forgot about Erasa!"

_Yeah, well, your girlfriend forgot about it, too, _King Kai said. _I thought she was going to tell Erasa about it, but then she totally changed the subject. _

Sweatdrops appeared on Gohan's forehead. "G-girlfriend?" he asked. "What makes you think that Videl is my girlfriend?"

_Are you kidding? I could hear your crappy singing all the way from the afterlife, _King Kai said. _Remind me to give you singing lessons for your next birthday._

_Hey, I thought that song was cool!_ another voice said.

_Get out of here, Goku! This doesn't concern you!_

"Dad?" Gohan asked.

_Hey, Gohan? Can you hear me? Hi, Gohan!_

_Goku, get your hand off my back right now! This is a private conversation about the fate of the universe!_

"Oh, jeez," Gohan said. "I've got a whole crew of dead people, keeping tabs on my love life. This stinks."

_This is no time to be embarrassed! You need to get over there and stop Erasa right now!_ King Kai said. _You don't remember what happened the last time a Saiyan woman turned thirteen, but __I do__! An entire solar system was wiped out of existence!_

"But King Kai, I can't leave my room!" Gohan said. "And I can't call her or email her, either! There's no way for me to communicate with Erasa!"

_Are you an idiot?_ King Kai shouted. _What do you think you're doing right now?_

"Oh, right!" Gohan said. "I can contact her via telepathy!"

"Gohan?" Chi-Chi called from downstairs. "Are you talking to someone up there?"

"No, Mom!" Gohan called.

_So, connect Gohan with Erasa, King Kai!_ Goku said. _I wanna see what this Erasa girl looks like! You said she was half-Saiyan?_

_I'm not a telephone operator!_ King Kai said. _My antennae are finely-tuned instruments, which...ah, forget it._

It was easier for King Kai to include Erasa and Videl in the conversation, than to explain how it worked. The two teenage girls were getting lunch together, and Erasa was upset that they ran out of the pizza she wanted.

"What do you mean 'there's no more pepperoni'?" Erasa asked. "I'm _hungry!_"

"Videl! Erasa!" Gohan said.

Videl dropped her food tray in shocked. "What the—?" she asked as she looked around for the source of the voice which seemed to come from her head.

"It's me, Gohan," Gohan said. "I'm using my telepathic powers to communicate with you."

"Oh, man!" Videl said. She knew that she liked Gohan, but hearing his voice inside her head was too much for her to handle. "I've gone insane!"

"You're not insane," Gohan said. "This is...it's an alien form of communication. I need to find out if you've talked to Erasa about the Saiyan puberty thing yet."

"I can hear you talking to someone up there!" Chi-Chi said from downstairs. "Are you using the phone?"

"No!" Gohan said.

"This is so weird," Videl said. "Weird, weird, weird. It must be some kind of prank."

_Focus, Videl! _King Kai said. _When Erasa hits puberty, the fate of the world is at stake!_

"Right..." Videl said. "I don't think we have to worry about _her_ going crazy and destroying the world. Me, on the other hand..."

"I'm [bad word] hungry!" Erasa said. "HUNGRY!"

"I mean, she's getting mad now, but that—"

Erasa slammed the counter in front of her. "GIVE ME MY FOOD!" she shouted.

"I can hear what she's saying!" Gohan said. "Don't try to pretend that everything is fine with her! We need to—"

Videl screamed unexpectedly, and Gohan lost his link to the two girls, as Chi-Chi threw open the door and destroyed his concentration.

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi said. "What are you _doing _up here? You should be studying!"

But Gohan had already thrown open the window and was climbing outside. "Sorry, Mom," he said. "I have to save Videl! She's in danger!"

"Videl?" Chi-Chi asked. "Who—?"

"Hercule's daughter," Gohan said. "It's not just her. The entire planet is in danger if I don't go there right now."

"I forbid it," Chi-Chi said. "You are _grounded_, young man, and that means you do whatever I say."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have a choice," Gohan said. "I have to save her."

He flew away at top speed. Chi-Chi yelled at him to come back, but he was too far away to hear it.

"Great, he spends two days with that devil girl, and now he's a rebellious teenager!" Chi-Chi said. "I'll make sure he _never_ sees her again!"

_Aw, come on, Chi-Chi, Gohan and Videl are nice together!_ a voice said.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi asked.

_Yeah, it's me,_ Goku said. _I met Videl in Other World the other day, and she_...

_I'm not your personal communication device!_ King Kai complained. _Talk to your wife later!_

_But I can't contact her without your help!_ Goku said. _I need—_

_Quiet! He's reached Erasa!_

_Already?_

* * *

><p>Gohan broke the speed barrier when travelling to Orange Star High. A trip that normally would have taken him twenty minutes now took twenty seconds. If Gotenks can travel around the world eight times in under a minute, why can't Gohan get from his home to Hercule City in the same amount of time?<p>

Not that Gohan had any idea who Gotenks was.

The scene at Orange Star High was like something out of Gohan's nightmares. Kids everyone, all of them talking loudly in worried voices. Videl was on the ground, eyes closed and not moving. A huge wound on her forehead was leaking blood.

Erasa was standing over Videl. She must have been the one to attack her.

"NOOOO!" Gohan screamed.

Powering up to Super Saiyan Two without even realizing it, Gohan flew right at Erasa, then grabbed her by the arm, and spun her around, right into a wall. Then he flew to Videl. He could sense her life force, so she wasn't dead yet. If only he had a sensu bean...

"What the heck was THAT?" an angry voice said behind him. Gohan turned his head around to see an unhappy Erasa, standing up straight amidst the wreckage of the broken wall.

"I knew that attack wouldn't be enough to finish you off," Gohan said, energy crackling over his hands. "But you're going to pay for what you've done!"

Erasa's eyes narrowed. "I see what's going on here," she said. "You're another one of those killer monsters. Well, you're not going to stop _me!_"

"_You're the monster!"_ Gohan shouted. He flew towards Erasa, who dodged to the left, hard. She almost hit a table, but then she flew straight up into the air, five feet.

Gohan was there in under a second. He punched her right in the jaw, so hard that one of her teeth fell out. She threw her arm out to hit him, but he blocked it and punched her in the chest with his other arm.

"Ouch!" Erasa said.

"I've got more experience than you," Gohan said. "I've been fighting for years, and you've only been fighting for two weeks."

"Yeah, but I killed Majin Buu, the most powerful being in the universe," Erasa said.

"I know," Gohan said. "I was there."

"You...you were?" Erasa asked. "Who are you?"

"Um...Gohan," Gohan said. "Don't you recognize me?"

Erasa stared at Gohan for a moment, dumbfounded. Then it clicked.

"Oh, yeah, you can do the blonde thing, too!" she said. "But we're friends! Why are you attacking me?"

"Because...you've gone crazy and started killing people?" Gohan asked.

"What? No, I haven't!" Erasa said.

"What about Videl?" Gohan asked, waving his arm towards the area where Videl's unconscious body was. He couldn't see her body, because it was blocked by a large crowd of students, all of whom were looking up in amazement at the flying fighters.

"That was an accident!" Erasa said. "I didn't _mean_ to hurt her!"

"But you _did_, because you're out of control!" Gohan said. "You hit your own best friend, and—"

"I didn't hit her!" Erasa said. "I hit the counter!"

"The counter?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah!" Erasa said. "I hit the counter, and those cans of fruit punch went flying into the air and hit Videl! I think one of them hit her one the forehead and knocked her out."

"So...you didn't try to kill Videl?" Gohan asked.

"Nope," Erasa said.

"You're...not out of control with Saiyan bloodlust?" Gohan asked.

"Of course not!" Erasa said. "I don't even know what that is!"

"But...Vegeta said you just started puberty!" Gohan said. "Has it not happened yet?"

Erasa blushed. "That's...that's kind of personal," she said. "But for your information, I hit puberty about a year ago."

"Excuse me a moment," Gohan said.

_KING KAI! _Gohan screamed through his telepathic link.

"I think we _might_ have made a mistake," King Kai said.

Goku laughed. "Chi-Chi, I never thought of it that way!" he said.

_"Goku, stop using me as your telephone!"_ King Kai shouted.

* * *

><p>Yes, Saiyan girls become destructive when they turn 13, but Erasa is only half-Saiyan. It turns out she didn't inherit those genes. Vegeta, King Kai, and the author got everyone all worked up over nothing.<p>

...Those lying jerks.


	27. Goodbye

"You thought I was _dead?_" Videl asked.

"The fruit punch looked like blood!" Gohan defended himself. "It was very deceptive!"

Videl laughed. "For a genius, you're not very smart," she said.

"Gee, thanks," Gohan said. "The next time your life is in danger, I'll make sure not to come."

"Aw, don't get upset," Videl said. "It's nice to know you care about me."

Gohan gulped, sensing an opening. "I...I care about you a lot, Videl," he said.

Videl smiled. "I care about you, too, Gohan," she said. "It's just—"

"Group hug!" Erasa shouted. She grabbed Gohan and Videl's heads, then shoved the two of them together. The idea was that the two teenagers would be forced to kiss, but Erasa had forgotten that Gohan was about a foot taller than Videl. His chin smashed into her forehead.

"Ouch!" Gohan said.

"OW!" Videl complained. "What the [bad word], Erasa?"

"Oops, sorry," Erasa said. "Hey, if you're hurt, maybe Gohan could kiss you and make you feel better!"

"Go away, Erasa!" Videl said. "I've had enough of your stupid tricks!"

"Yeah!" Gohan said. "You're kind of starting to bug me."

"But—" Erasa said.

"_You're_ the one who got us both grounded," Videl said, upset that her little moment with Gohan was ruined. "Why don't you just leave us alone before you do _more_ damage?"

"I don't want to be mean, but maybe it _would_ be better if you left us alone for a while," Gohan said. "After all, you _have _caused a lot of trouble recently."

Erasa's shoulders slumped. "Fine," she said. "I know when I'm not wanted."

Erasa turned around and went the other way down the school hallway. She started moping about how her two best friends didn't want her around any more.

That was when she ran into Sharpener.

"Hey, Babe," Sharpener said. "I got somethin' to tell you."

"I'm not in the mood for your dumb attempts to hit on me, Sharpy," Erasa said

"No, I really _do_ have something to tell you!" Sharpener said.

"Fine, what is it?" Erasa asked.

"You're the most amazing girl ever," Sharpener said.

Erasa slapped Sharpener into the nearest wall.

"Augh!" Sharpener said. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant, you're the most amazing girl ever! You can fly, and you have super strength and everything!"

"Oh," Erasa said. Maybe she shouldn't have flown into the air, right in the middle of a crowded cafeteria. "I didn't think about that. Great, now everyone knows my secret identity."

"Yeah, we all know you're the Gold Fighter who killed Cell!" Sharpener said.

"WHAT?" Erasa shouted.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" Sharpener said. "I would have kept it a secret! We were good friends back then!"

"Yeah, well, we're not friends anymore," Erasa said. "I've told you a dozen times already. You totally changed when we started high school."

"Duh, that's a good thing," Sharpener said. "I became more strong and manly. I've even been thinking about joining the baseball team! The ladies love the New Sharpener!"

"_This_ lady doesn't," Erasa said. "And Videl hates you, too."

Sharpener whimpered. The two coolest girls in his class didn't like him? That wasn't good.

"Now go away," Erasa said.

"But Erasa!" Sharpener said.

"Someone said Erasa!" a voice behind the two teens shouted.

"Huh?" Erasa asked, turning around. Out of nowhere, a huge crowd of people poured into the hallway.

"There she is!" someone shouted.

"We love you, Erasa!" someone else shouted.

"Uh oh," Erasa said to herself. She had seen Videl's father get surrounded by a group of fans, once. It wasn't pretty.

"I can't believe you can fly!" someone said.

"You're the Gold Fighter! That's so cool!" another person said. "I thought the Gold Fighter was a boy!"

"She _did_ have a boyish hairdo back then," one student pointed out.

"Woah, woah, calm down," Erasa said. "Yes, I saved the world from an evil monster, but you don't have to—"

"I want your autograph!" one girl said.

"Will you go out with me?" one boy asked.

"No, me!" another one shouted.

"I'll have your name tattooed on my bicep!" a third boy shouted.

Erasa smiled. Maybe being famous wouldn't be that bad, after all!

* * *

><p>Videl and Gohan were on the roof of the school, looking out over the city.<p>

"This is where I go when I want to be alone," Videl said. "Nobody bugs you when you're up here."

"Why would you want to be alone?" Gohan asked. "I thought you were popular here."

"High school isn't always easy," Videl said. "Sometimes, it gets really stressful."

"Well, I wouldn't know about that," Gohan said. Chi-Chi still refused to let Gohan go to high school in the city. "But I think it wouldn't be so bad if I was here with you and Erasa."

"I think it'd be great if you could go here," Videl said. "We could spend a lot more time together. You're...interesting, Gohan."

"Thanks, I think," Gohan said. "It's just...you know that I'll never be able to go to school here."

"Yeah, I know," Videl said, looking down. "And we're both grounded until the end of time, so we'll never see each other again..."

"Yeah, you're right," Gohan said. "High school _isn't_ easy."

"But hey, we should make our last memory together a happy one!" Videl said. "Let's play a game or see a movie or—"

_BRING! _went the school bell.

"Or we can go back to class," Videl said glumly. "That's the five minute warning bell."

"I should go," Gohan said. He floated up into the air a few feet, ready to fly off.

"Hey, wait!" Videl said suddenly, raising her hand up to him.

"Huh?" Gohan asked, landing back on the ground. "What is it?"

"It's...um...you can't leave yet!" Videl said, a little loudly. "I mean, people will be suspicious if they see a flying person! You should stay here until—"

"Don't worry," Gohan said. "I have the flying nimbus."

Videl scratched her head. "You mean, that broom from Harry Potter?"

"No, watch," Gohan said. "Flying Nimbus!"

Gohan looked up in the sky, and Videl followed his gaze. Just when she was about to say that he must be suffering from heat stroke—a good reason for him to stay here instead of leaving—a small yellow cloud came down and stopped right in front of the two teenagers.

"This is the flying nimbus," Gohan said. "Try standing on it."

Videl took a tentative step onto the cloud, and when it seemed to support her weight, she brought both feet up onto it. Amazingly, she didn't fall.

"It's solid!" Videl said, jumping up and landing on the cloud.

"It's a magic cloud," Gohan explained. "You can ride it, only if you think pure thoughts."

"So, it's like some kind of Peter Pan cloud?" Videl asked. "Oh, wait, I get it! If you fly on this cloud, no one from the ground can see you!"

"Exactly!" Gohan said. "I can use this to get home without being seen."

"But..." Videl said.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

_I don't want you to go,_ she thought.

Gohan put his hand on Videl's arm. "Look, I don't want to leave, either," he said. "But I have to."

Videl looked up, and she noticed something strange. Gohan was at eye level with her.

"Hey, when I'm on this cloud, I'm the same height as you are," Videl said.

"Gee, I didn't notice that," Gohan said. "Kind of funny, huh?"

"Yeah, hilarious," Videl said. "Don't tell anybody about this, okay?"

"Tell anybody about what?" Gohan asked.

Videl wrapped her arms around Gohan's head and kissed him.

"That," she said. "Don't tell anyone, and don't forget about me. Okay?"

"I could never forget you," Gohan said.

"That is the cheesiest line I've ever heard, and I sit next to Sharpner every day," Videl said. "How could you—?"

Gohan cut Videl off by kissing her. In an unspoken agreement, the two of them decided that talking wasn't worth it at the moment, and the two of them began kissing over and over again, getting used to the strange new physical sensation of touching lips. They remained lip-locked for some time, until...

_BRING!_ the school bell rang.

"[Bad word]," Videl said. "I'm late for class."

"Forget about class," Gohan said. "We can stay here and—"

"No, no, I can't do this," Videl said, stepping off the nimbus cloud. "Goodbye, Gohan."

"Goodbye, Videl," Gohan said.

Videl cast a glance back over her shoulder, as she opened the door leading downstairs. Gohan looked like someone just stepped on his little brother Goten.

"It's not goodbye forever," Videl promised. "Trust me. I'm not through with you yet."

"Right," Gohan said. "Bye."

Videl smiled, then ran down the stairs. She ended up getting detention for being late to class, but she figured it was worth it.

In the meantime, Gohan flew home on the flying nimbus, making the long journey back to the mountain regions, where a furious Chi-Chi was surely awaiting him.

"Wow," Gohan said to himself. "That Videl is...she..."

Gohan had an impure thought, and he immediately fell through the bottom of the flying nimbus.

"Augh!" Gohan screamed.

* * *

><p>Several interesting things happened over the next few weeks.<p>

Gohan became super-grounded, for leaving the house without permission. You know how a Super Saiyan is more powerful than a normal Saiyan? Well, a Super Grounding is more powerful than a normal Grounding. Gohan didn't go more than two miles outside of his house, for the next year. And in fact, when Gohan _did_ go out of town for the first time, it was to drop Goten off at Bulma's for a playdate with Trunks.

Erasa became a national celebrity, because everyone thought she was the Gold Fighter from the Cell Games. Hercule was all too happy to make a public show of friendship with Erasa, in exchange for un-grounding Videl.

Well, to be exact, Videl didn't get un-grounded. But the punishment was partially lifted, so she was only grounded half of the time. Of course, that meant it took twice as long for her to serve out the grounding time period, but she thought it was a good compromise nonetheless.

When Vegeta returned to Earth, he insisted on seeing Erasa. He tried to give her a series of lectures on the proper behavior of Saiyan females, but the series ended abruptly when she attacked him with a Kamehameha. After the resulting fight, the two of them didn't get along well.

For lack of a better word, the experience with Erasa _inspired_ Vegeta to continue the Saiyan race, by having lots and lots of Saiyan offspring. Trunks' status as an only child was soon usurped, as Bulma gave birth to another son, named Vegeta. (Vegeta insisted upon that name, saying it was a tradition in his family). After that, Bulma gave birth to a pair of twin girls, named Bra and Bulla. Everyone had a hard time telling the two of them apart.

As for Sharpener, he actually had a flash of insight, and he decided to ask his sister for advice on dealing with girls. This improved his romantic skills for a grand total of five minutes, until he forgot what she said.

Dende, as you may recall, was fired from his job as Guardian of Earth. He toyed around with the idea of becoming a student at Orange Star High, but his mega-crush on Erasa would have made things very awkward. So instead, he decided to go to Black Star High, which was a few towns over. There, he had a failed relationship with a girl named Eraser.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Videl...<em>

_I know I'm not supposed to email you, but I haven't heard from you at all in over a month. How are things going in Hercule City? I really miss you and Erasa and everyone else. Mom hasn't let me leave the house yet, and nothing exciting seems to happen here._

_Gohan_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Punk Kid,<em>

_I told you not to em-mail my daughter, and I meant it. Consider your address BLOCKED, Gohan! HA HA AHA AH AH!_

_Hercule, the Champ_

_P.S. Say hello to your mother for me, unless that'd be weird._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Gohan,<em>

_Surprise! It's me, Videl. I know your mom wouldn't let you get any letters from me, so I changed the return address. You said Bulma Briefs was one of your family's friends, right?_

_It was Erasa's idea to write you a letter, addressed from another person. She's become the most popular kid in school, lately. Everyone decided that she was the Delivery Boy who fought Cell during the Cell Games. I don't know how they're making that mistake—I mean, hello? He was a Delivery Boy, as in, not a girl—but whatever. Your secret's safe with me._

_Ever since the mix-up with your mother, Dad has sworn off alcohol forever. Lately, he's been doing a lot of work for one of those "say no to drugs and alcohol" education programs that celebrities sometimes work with. He's still a total dweeb, but it's nice to see him doing something good for a change._

_As for me, things are kind of boring, I guess. It's hard to go from "semi-superhero who fights monsters from other planets" to "average high school kid". I jumped up about six levels in my martial arts classes, and nobody there can figure out why. If they ever learned I can fly, I don't know how they'd react. Come to think of, I don't know how Dad will react when I tell him._

_Anyway, write back soon! I miss you._

_Videl_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Miss Videl,<em>

_Nice try. Never send a message to my son again, you hussy._

_-Chi-Chi Son_

* * *

><p>Chi-Chi intercepted a grand total of eight messages to Gohan, not counting another one sent to Bulma, before Videl eventually gave up. Gohan was more inclined to follow the rules, and he only tried contacting Videl twice.<p>

The two friends didn't see each other at all for the next six months, or the six months after that, or the six months after _that_. In fact, the next time Videl and Gohan saw each other face-to-face, it was over two years later, at the next World Martial Arts Tournament...

**The End of Part 2 **


	28. Valentine's Day

**Part Three**

_Over Two Years Later..._

Usually, Valentine's Day was a day filled with hearts and candy. But in the Hercule City Bank, it was a day filled with danger, as three armed bandits tried to steal two million dollars in cash.

The sound of a gunshot, followed by a short scream, broke the tense silence in the room.

"Anyone else tries to escape, they get shot, too!" a gun-wielding bandit shouted at the cowering crowd of hostages. "I got plenty of bullets here, and next time, I'll shoot to kill!"

The first bandit was watching the front doors, while the second bandit stuffed the money into an old pillowcase. The third bandit was the one who had just shot a hostage in the leg, after she tried to escape.

"Anything from the cops?" Bandit #3 asked.

"Nope," Bandit #1 said. "Dey're still keeping their distance, on accounta the hostages."

"Heh, we just might get away with this! There's no—"

Suddenly, a teenage crime-fighter appeared and threw open the doors that Bandit #1 was guarding. "Not so fast!" she said heroically.

A gasp went up from the crowd of hostages.

"She's here!"

"It's her!"

"Who is she?"

"You don't know? That's Erasa, the Gold Fighter!"

"That's right!" Erasa said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "The police asked me to take care of you criminals."

"Heh," Bandit #1 said. "I know about you. You're de little goil who thinks she's a superhero."

"Go away, kiddie," Bandit #3 said. "I don't wanna shoot you, if I don't have to."

"I take it you're not going to come quietly," Erasa said. "Fine."

She took a step forward.

"Hey, stay back!" Bandit #3 shouted, turning his gun on Erasa.

Erasa took another step forward.

"One more move, and I'll shoot!" the bandit threatened.

Erasa took a third step, and Bandit #3 fired his gun at Erasa's leg. The bullet harmlessly bounced off of her half-Saiyan skin.

"What the—? How did she—?" Bandit #3 asked, as Erasa kept walking forward slowly. He started firing more rapidly, shooting Erasa six times in the head. She didn't even flinch.

"I'll give you one chance to turn yourselves in," Erasa said. "Consider it a Valentine's Day present. Will you cooperate, or no?"

"Kill the goil!" Bandit #1 shouted, pulling out a large knife and running at Erasa.

Erasa sighed, then began her attack. Within ten seconds, all three bandits were unconscious. Within ten minutes, they were in handcuffs and on their way to jail.

* * *

><p>Erasa and Videl were both in their seats, chatting before class. Even after all this time, the two of them were still best friends.<p>

"And he went out like a light!" Erasa said excitedly. "That makes ten criminals so far this year!"

"Sounds like your new job with the police is doing great," Videl said.

"Yep, I'm so glad I thought of helping the police fight crime!" Erasa said.

"_You_ thought of it?" Videl asked, a little annoyed. "You stole that idea—and the job—from me."

"Jeez, that was over a year ago," Erasa said. "Get over it."

Videl scoffed. "At least _I_ have a driver's license," she said.

"It was an accident I flunked the driving test!" Erasa said. "I was nervous!"

Videl smiled. "You can save the world, but you can't drive a car. What kind of superhero are you?"

"I don't need a car," Erasa said. "I can fly anywhere I want to."

"Yeah, I know," Videl said. Videl was kind of jealous that Erasa could fly freely in public. Videl couldn't fly in the crowded city without being seen by someone.

"Hey, Videl!" a voice on Videl's right said. She turned to see that it was Sharpener.

"Hey, Sharpener!" Videl said. "What's up?"

Sharpener had grown out of his immature obsession with girls, once he actually found a girlfriend. Her name was Angela, and she had red hair that was larger than Majin Buu's stomach. Sharpener and Angela were a very lovey-dovey couple, and Videl usually wanted to barf when she heard them talking to each other. But when Sharpener was by himself, like he was now, he was perfectly normal. Or at least, as normal as Sharpener ever was.

"I've got bad news for you," Sharpener said. "You're not going to win the World Martial Arts Tournament this year."

"Oh, really?" Videl said. "What makes you so sure? I was the Junior Division Champion last time."

"_I'm_ going to be the champion this year," Sharpener said. "I just decided to enter."

"Oh, please," Videl said. "I could beat you in two seconds."

"No way!" Sharpener said. "I'm totally going to win. My cousin taught me some great fighting moves."

"Ha," Videl said. "Who cares about your cousin? I was trained by Go—"

There was a brief pause, as Videl stopped speaking and Sharpener looked confused.

"Go?" he asked.

"I mean, Dad," Videl said quickly. "I was trained by my dad."

"What?" Sharpener asked. "That's not fair! Your dad is the champion! He can't be training you!"

"I'm going to be in the World Martial Arts Tournament this year, too," Erasa said. "I'm pretty sure _I_ will be the winner."

"That's even less fair!" Sharpener said. "You have superpowers!"

"That's just the way things work!" Erasa said.

"Jeez, maybe I _shouldn't_ enter," Sharpener said. "I mean, if—"

"SHARRRRRPIE!" a voice shouted. "Where are you?"

"Whoops, gotta go!" Sharpener said. He ran down the stairs to Angela, so he could give her a Valentine's Day kiss.

"I wuv you," Sharpener said to Angela.

"I wuv you, too," Angela said to Sharpener.

The two of them kissed, and then rubbed noses together.

"Geez, they've been going out for three months, and they still use baby talk with each other," Erasa said. "Pretty weird, right, Videl?"

Videl wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about the boy whose name she had almost said.

"Gohan..." Videl said quietly. The first and only boy she had ever kissed. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him in over two years.

"Now _that's _someone I haven't thought of in months," Erasa said. "Do you think he'll be at the tournament, too?"

Videl didn't respond.

"I mean, didn't we first meet him at the last tournament?" Erasa asked.

Videl sighed.

"Hello, Earth to Videl!" Erasa said.

"Huh?" Videl asked. "What?"

"You spaced out there for a moment," Erasa said. "Thinking about Gohan?"

"Yeah..." Videl said. "I...ah, it's nothing. We'll probably never see him again."

Erasa grinned. "Maybe you could call him and wish him a Happy Valentine's Day," she suggested.

"His mom blocked my number a long time ago," Videl said. "Besides, he's probably forgotten all about me."

"It can't hurt to try," Erasa said. "You could use my cell phone to call him."

"I already tried that, remember?" Videl said. "His mom blocked your number, too."

"Wow, that's dedication," Erasa said. "Why don't you steal Sharpener's phone, then?"

"A, that's stealing, and B, I'm not an obsessed stalker," Videl said. "Besides, I don't remember Gohan's phone number at this point."

"I can have my contacts at the police station look it up for you," Erasa said.

"No thanks," Videl said. "Besides, why do _you_ care so much?"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for my best friend," Erasa said. "You don't want to spend _another_ Valentine's Day all alone, do you?"

"I'm perfectly fine with being single," Videl said. "Besides, I don't think any of the guys here could pass the Dad Test."

"Yeah...your dad _is_ kind of crazy," Erasa agreed. "Oh, well, that's your problem. _I_, on the other hand, have a great date tonight!"

"Only one?" Videl asked.

"Well, four," Erasa said. "But two of them are in a different state."

"Ugh, you're such a playgirl," Videl said. "Are you _ever _going to have a boyfriend for more than three days?"

"Now, that's not fair!" Erasa said. "Last month, I went out with a guy for a whole _week_ without dumping him!"

"The point is, you're not in a position to criticize my love life or lack thereof," Videl said.

"Well, fine, but if you ever need romantic advice, just let me know," Erasa said. "Ooo, I could set you up with one of my exes!"

"Um, no, that'd be creepy," Videl said.

* * *

><p>"Happy Valentine's Day!" Chi-Chi said, placing two paper bags on the table in front of her. "I got you both candy, because you're the two boys I love the most!"<p>

"Candy!" Goten shouted.

"Aw, gee, Mom, you're the best," Gohan said, pulling out a box of candy.

"I know that, dear," Chi-Chi said. "But it's true. You two really are the most important people in my life."

"I want more candy!" the three-year-old Goten shouted, bouncing up and down.

"Is he finished already?" Gohan asked. "I haven't even started—hey!"

Gohan had to fight off Goten, who was attempting to eat his Valentine's Day candy. Eventually, Gohan put the candy away, on top of a high shelf.

"Gosh, Goten can be a handful," Gohan said.

"He sure can," Chi-Chi said. "It'd be nice if someone volunteered to watch him for me today, so I could watch my movies."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Gohan agreed.

Chi-Chi glared at her son. "Well?" she asked.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"Where's _my_ Valentine's Day gift?" Chi-Chi asked.

_Uh oh,_ Gohan thought.

"Um, I didn't make one..." Gohan said.

As Chi-Chi's face turned red, Gohan quickly added, "I mean, I'll watch Goten for you the whole day!"

"Aw, thank you!" Chi-Chi said, instantly turning nice. "Trunks is coming over tonight so his parents can have a nice romantic dinner alone. You can watch both of them!"

"Hey, no fair!" Gohan said. "You know I'd never agree to watch both of them at once! You did that on purpose!"

"Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't!" Chi-Chi said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some movies to watch."

"Fine," Gohan sighed. "Come on, Goten, let's go—hey! Stop trying to climb those shelves! That's not your candy!"

"But I'm hungry!" Goten cried.

Gohan grabbed his little brother and started to head outside, while Chi-Chi turned on the TV. A news program was on.

"—scientists working on the International Space Station," the announcer was saying. Gohan's ears perked up instantly, as they always did whenever there was anything on TV relating to science, martial arts or _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_.

"The unexpected technical difficulties caused a complete power failure, and the space station went plummeting to Earth. Fortunately, teenage superhero Erasa San was able to fly up into the atmosphere and prevent a crash landing."

"Erasa, Erasa, Erasa," Chi-Chi complained. "Every time I turn on the TV, there's something about her or Hercule on! I swear, those phony fighters make me sick!"

"She's not—" Gohan began to say.

"Erasa is expected to win the $10,000 grand prize in the under 18 division of the World Martial Arts Tournament next month," the announcer said.

"Ten thousand dollars?" Chi-Chi asked. "I don't remember prizes like that when _I _was in the tournament!"

"Hey, do you think I could enter the tournament?" Gohan asked.

"Absolutely not," Chi-Chi said.

"But I could easily win the prize money," Gohan said. "That would help pay for my education."

"You're not fooling me," Chi-Chi said. "You just want to see that girl again."

"What's wrong with wanting to see my friends again?" Gohan asked. "I haven't seen them in years!"

"They're a bad influence," Chi-Chi said. "That Erasa Superhero seems full of herself, and Hercule's daughter was obnoxious. You need to meet nice, _sensitive_ girls."

"I'm not going to meet _any_ girls if I don't leave the house every once in a while," Gohan said. "Come on, Bulma can supervise me to make sure I don't get in trouble! I'm _sure_ she'd be willing to help!"

"If anyone's going to supervise you, it'll be _me!_" Chi-Chi said. "Now be quiet. There's no reason for you to go to the World Martial Arts Tournament this year."

"Besides for the fact that I'm really good at martial arts..." Gohan muttered.

"_What _did you say?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Nothing!" Gohan said. "I haven't done any training in the past four years since Cell died, so there's no reason for me to enter the tournament! You're 100% correct!"

"Of course I am," Chi-Chi said.

* * *

><p>Dende looked left and right. The hallways of Black Star High were filled with people, many of whom were single girls who didn't have Valentine's Day dates yet.<p>

_Hopefully, that will change soon,_ Dende thought. He ducked into the boy's restroom and split himself up into four Dendes. All four of them put their hands together.

"Here's to finding a girlfriend!" the first Dende said.

"Yeah!" the Dendes shouted. They threw their hands up, then left the bathroom. Each Dende took a different direction: north, south, east, and west. The Dendes asked out every girl they met. The conversations went something like this:

"Be my Valentine?" Dende asked.

"Ew, no!" the girl responded.

"Do you have a date tonight?" Dende asked.

"Aaaaa! A green monster!" the girl screamed.

"Please go out with me!" Dende begged.

"I already have a boyfriend!" the girl said. "And besides, you're green!"

"I need a date for Valentine's Day!" Dende said.

"Well, you're not getting any dates from me, weirdo!" the girl shouted.

Ten minutes later, the different Dendes came together again and reported their complete and utter lack of success.

"It's not easy being green," Dende moaned.

That was when one of the Dendes noticed Eraser. She was Dende's crush at Black Star High. He didn't _really_ like her; she was just a substitute crush for Gohan's friend Erasa. Dende was convinced that he and Erasa were soulmates, destined to marry each other. Erasa, on the other hand, was distracted by the fact that Dende is a green alien.

Ah, but enough about Erasa. We're talking about Eraser now. Three Dendes quickly combined, and Dende walked over to her.

"Hi, Eraser," Dende said.

"Oh, hi, Dende!" Eraser said. "Have you seen Videll or Sharpena around?"

"No," Dende said. "But there's something I wanted to ask you. Seeing as it's Valentine's Day and all..."

"Yes?" Eraser asked.

"Will you be my valentine?" Dende asked.

"Oh, Dende!" Eraser said. "That's cute, but...I already have a valentine."

"You do?" Dende asked, his antenna drooping. "Who?"

"Oh, you know...um...Chad," Eraser said, unconvincingly.

"Eraser!" a voice from behind them called. She turned to see who it was.

"Sharpena!" Eraser said. Indeed, it was the captain of Black Star High's baseball team, Sharpena, the jock with long blonde hair and red eyes.

"Will you be my valentine?" Sharpena asked.

"Yes, YES!" Eraser said, jumping into Sharpena's arms and kissing him. "I've had such a huge crush on you for so long!"

Poor Dende walked away, not saying anything. Every girl in school, including his crush, had rejected him. This was the worst Valentine's Day ever.

* * *

><p>"Great, I'm stuck watching these two maniacs for another four hours," Gohan complained. "This is the worst Valentine's Day ever."<p>

_*Ding dong*_

"Gohan, get the door!" Chi-Chi ordered.

"Yes, Mom," Gohan said.

Gohan tried to pick up the two squirming children, while he answered the front door. A surprise visitor was waiting for him.

"Dende? What are _you_ doing here?" Gohan asked.

"I need you to train me, for the World Martial Arts Tournament," Dende said. "I want to fight against Erasa this year."

"Whaaaaaat?" Gohan asked.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>As some of you may have noticed, my original plan was to make this a Gohan/Erasa story. That's why Erasa plays such a prominent role.

Would anybody have any interest at all in seeing the original ending I wrote to Part Two, where Gohan and Erasa become a couple? You can consider it a fun, alternate ending. Or a completely horrifying alternate ending. Your choice!


	29. Nimbus Mail

**Author's Note: **Okay, so I think it's decided that I will _not_ post the alternate ending to this story, where Gohan and Erasa become a couple. This is due to lack of interest, and the fact that it'd probably take me a long time to write from memory. It's basically the same as chapters 22-24, only Chi-Chi and Hercule stay married.

* * *

><p>The mood in Gohan's house became tense, when Dende attempted to explain the situation to Chi-Chi.<p>

"Absolutely not," Chi-Chi said, crossing her arms. "Gohan isn't a fighter."

"But Mrs. Son!" Dende said. "I need a trainer, and Gohan is the best one around!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Young Trunks said. He began to hit Goten, who started crying.

"You see what fighting does?" Chi-Chi said. "I won't let such evil penetrate my lovely home!"

"Gohan, back me up here!" Dende said.

"Sorry, but Mom has a point," Gohan said. "Whenever we get involved with fighting, someone usually dies."

"But I need to beat up Erasa!" Dende whined, stomping his foot on the ground.

Chi-Chi's ears perked up. "Erasa?" she asked.

"But that doesn't make sense," Gohan said. "Why would you want to fight Erasa? I thought you like her."

"I do!" Dende said. "I love her! She and I will be married someday!"

"But she broke up with you a long time ago," Gohan said. "And several times after that, as I recall."

"That's why I have to defeat her in the World Martial Arts Tournament," Dende said. "It's the only way to get her attention!"

"That's not a smart plan," Gohan said. "If you like a girl, you shouldn't try to hurt her."

"I won't hurt her. I'll just severely hospitalize her," Dende said. "Then, I'll use my healing powers, and boom! Instant boyfriend!"

"Okay, I've made my decision!" Chi-Chi announced. "Gohan, you'll train Dende for the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"What?" Gohan asked.

"Yay!" Dende said.

"I approve of any plan that involves sending Erasa to the hospital," Chi-Chi said. "Someone needs to take that jerk girl down a few notches. After all, she's the [bad word] who almost got me married to Hercule Satan."

"Mom!" Gohan said. He didn't like hearing his mother swear.

"What's a [bad word]?" Trunks asked.

"Don't you worry about that," Chi-Chi said, patting Trunks on the head. Trunks would later repeat the bad word in front of Bulma, but Vegeta ended up taking the blame for it.

"Huh," Gohan said. "Gee, Mom, I never thought you'd agree to let me go to the World Martial Arts Tournament. This is really nice of you!"

"Oh, you're not going," Chi-Chi said. "That's out of the question. But you can train Dende for the tournament."

"What? That's crazy!" Dende said. "He trains me for a tournament that he can't go to? Where'd you get an idea like that?"

Chi-Chi pointed dramatically at Dende. "I'm not your mother, so I can't control what you do, but I _am_ Gohan's mother," Chi-Chi said. "And I say Gohan stays here, where it's safe. He's done enough fighting for one lifetime."

"But—" Dende said.

"Any more arguments, and I won't let Gohan train you," Chi-Chi said. "Now shut up or get out."

* * *

><p>Videl and Erasa walked through the hall together, once school was over.<p>

"I cannot _believe_ you don't have a Valentine's Date yet," Erasa said.

"I can't believe you have _five_ dates," Videl said. "Seriously, how do you find five different guys who are willing to share the same girlfriend?"

"They're dates, not boyfriends," Erasa said, as if that somehow made it okay to date five people at once. "So, if you don't have a date, does that mean you're going stag to the school dance tonight?"

"I'm not _going_ to the dance," Videl said.

"What? No way!" Erasa said. "You skipped out on, like, the last five dances! Why aren't you going to this one?"

"Dad gave me a choice," Videl said. "Either I stay at home, or I go to the dance while he chaperones."

"Oh, ouch," Erasa said. She remembered the first—and only—time that Hercule was a chaperone at a school dance. He tried to impress the high schoolers with his outrageous dance moves, and, well...six students ended up in the hospital as a result.

"It's okay," Videl said. "It's not like I wanted to go to the stupid dance, anyway."

"What if Gohan was there?" Erasa asked.

Videl scowled. Erasa knew she had struck a chord earlier when she mentioned Gohan to Videl, and she wasn't letting up on it. Erasa had a bad habit of doing that _every_ time she thought up a potential boyfriend for Videl.

"Gohan's about a foot taller than me," Videl said. "Dancing with him would be awkward."

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago!" Erasa said. "You're grown a lot since then. I bet the two of you are the same height now. Better go see him and find out."

"Um, no," Videl said, opening the door to the stairs that led to the school roof. "Dad wants me home right away."

"Yeah, I gotta fly home, too," Erasa said. "I have to get changed for my first date. You know, dates? The things normal girls go on?"

_I need a new best friend,_ Videl thought, not for the first time. Erasa started chatting about her first date for the night as the two girls went up the stairs and onto the roof.

"Nimbus!" Videl called. Obediently, the yellow cloud came floating up, and Videl set her backpack on it.

Videl was about to step on the cloud, when she turned back to look at the suddenly silent Erasa. Erasa had a calculating look on her face.

"Gohan gave you that cloud, didn't he?" she asked.

"Yes..." Videl said cautiously.

"So, why can't you take the cloud to Gohan's house?" Erasa asked. "Maybe...give him a Valentine's Day kiss?"

"Ugh," Videl said. "You are the least subtle person in the world. I'm not going to use the nimbus to go to Gohan's house; I'm going to—hey!"

The flying nimbus flew off, the instant it heard Videl say "nimbus, go to Gohan's house". Videl's backpack remained firmly on the cloud as it quickly disappeared into the horizon.

"Oh, [bad word]," Videl said. "Now look what you made me do! My homework was in my backpack, you idiot!"

"What a shame!" Erasa said. "Guess you'll have to go see Gohan and get it back!"

"Oh my God, will you stop talking about him?" Videl snapped. "Sheesh, I kiss a guy twice, and you won't give up on it, even though that was years ago! GET OVER IT!"

Erasa was one of the few people on Earth who could receive a full-powered Death Stare from Videl and live to tell the tale. This is partly because Erasa is strong enough to go Super Saiyan 3, and partly because she is completely oblivious to most normal things.

"Twice?" Erasa asked. "You kissed him _twice?_"

"[Bad word]," Videl said.

* * *

><p>Gohan took Dende, Goten and Trunks outside for a brief bit of training. Also, Chi-Chi wanted the boys out of the house.<p>

"Let's go to the Snake Plains," Dende suggested. "Anything to get away from your mother."

"It's probably best if we stick around here," Gohan said. "Besides, Mom doesn't let me go farther than ten miles from here."

"Yeah, but she won't know," Dende said. "She's busy watching her movies."

"Oh, she'll know," Gohan said. "Mom got Bulma to install some kind of tracker in my clothes. She'll know if we go too far away."

"Jeez, that's ridiculous," Dende said. "I'm so glad _I_ don't have a mother."

"That's not—Trunks, get down from that tree!" Gohan yelled. He flew up to the tree to retrieve the five-year-old child. Meanwhile, Goten started chasing a butterfly. Goten managed to catch the creature in his hand, and he accidentally squished it. Then he started crying. By the time Gohan managed to calm his brother down, Trunks climbed up the tree again.

"Feel free to help any time!" Gohan said.

"No thanks, I'm good," Dende said, sitting down. "So what's my best strategy for beating up Erasa?"

"She's half-Saiyan," Gohan said. "You don't have a chance."

"Ah, but I have healing powers," Dende said. "I can easily heal myself if I get hurt."

"You can use your healing powers on yourself?" Gohan asked. "I thought you could only use them on other people!"

"No, I can heal myself from all wounds," Dende said. "I was going to use it as an unfair advantage in the fight against Frieza, but then he killed me in one blow."

"Hmmm..." Gohan said. "Well, maybe you should just heal yourself constantly during the fight. That way, you can stretch it out for hours and wear Erasa down."

"Brilliant!" Dende said. "Except all fights in the Junior Division have a ten minute limit."

"Then we're back to square one: you can't win," Gohan said. "Maybe if I disguise myself as you...TRUNKS, STAY AWAY FROM THAT TREE!"

"No!" Trunks said. He started climbing the tree for a third time, and Gohan chased after him. Trunks climbed as high as he could, then jumped off the tree. He fell straight to the ground and landed on a yellow cloud that was passing by.

"Phew!" Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Nimbus!"

"Ow!" Trunks said, knocking Videl's backpack off the cloud. "Who put this stupid thing here?"

"Oh, gee, it's a mysterious item," Dende said, with feigned surprise. "Gohan, you must examine it and determine its origin."

"Huh?" Gohan asked. "Why are you talking so weirdly?"

"I'm not talking weirdly," Dende said. "I am honestly surprised at this entirely unexpected and highly original turn of events."

Gohan frowned as he reached for the mysterious backpack. It sounded like Dende was up to something. The last time Dende acted like this, he was abusing his powers as (former) Guardian of Earth. Dende still had the knowledge and ability to do a lot of things normal Earthlings couldn't...

* * *

><p>Videl arrived at home about twenty minutes later than normal. She expected her father would be angry at her for being late, but he didn't seem worried about it. Instead, her father looked teary-eyed.<p>

"Videl!" Hercule said.

"Dad? Don't you have a date with that Crystal woman?" Videl asked.

"No," Hercule said sadly. "She broke up with me this morning."

Videl wanted to do a happy dance—she hated Crystal—but that would have been rude.

"Now I'm all alone on Valentine's Day..." Hercule said. "Geez, I've been trying to find a steady girlfriend ever since your mother died, but it's been impossible. It's like no girl on Earth finds me attractive."

"Don't feel bad," Videl said. "You still have me, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Hercule said. "I love you, but...ah, no buts. I love you, Videl! You're my little baby girl!"

"Do you love me enough to buy me a car when I turn sixteen next week?" Videl asked.

"Don't push your luck," Hercule warned. "Besides, I was thinking of getting a Jet Copter. They're better for the environment."

* * *

><p>Videl went upstairs to her room. She was about to flop onto her bed, when she noticed a yellow cloud outside her window.<p>

"Nimbus?" she asked. "You came back? Why didn't you come back when I called you earlier?"

Videl opened her window, and the nimbus came inside. Fortunately, Videl's backpack was still on top of it.

"Yes!" Videl said. She picked it up, and a note fell to the floor.

_Dear Videl,_

_I...I'm not sure how it happened, but your backpack showed up at my house. On the flying nimbus. I don't know if that was on purpose or an accident or what._

_Um...anyway, I'm going to try to give you back your backpack. I hope it works._

_Have a happy Valentine's Day. I miss you._

_-Gohan Son_

"Gohan?" Videl asked. She was so surprised at this, er, entirely unexpected and highly original turn of events that she barely registered the fact that Gohan was really awkward when it came to writing notes.

Videl read the note twice, then pulled a piece of paper out of her backpack and began to write a response.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Gohan,<em>

_I hope this note reaches you. I've been using the nimbus ever since you gave it to me, but I never thought of using the nimbus to communicate with you before. But maybe you'll actually get this note, unlike all the other ones I sent you._

_It's my birthday next week. I'd really like it if you could attend. I haven't seen you in so long, it's ridiculous. I'm not even sure I could recognize you anymore. You probably wouldn't recognize me, either. I look different. I'm taller now, and I grew my hair out._

_You're going to be at the World Martial Arts Tournament this year, right? I want to have a rematch from the last tournament. I'm sure the only reason you beat me is because you got lucky. Good thing for me, everyone thinks I won the Junior Division Championship two years ago._

_I miss you too,  
>Videl<em>

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Videl's message got through to Gohan. Hercule might be able to track his daughter's email, but not her nimbus-mail. Chi-Chi, too, hadn't even thought of banning the nimbus as a possible form of communication.<p>

"It's like carrier pigeons," Videl explained to Erasa. "Only it's a cloud."

"So, you _do_ still love him!" Erasa said.

"No, I don't!" Videl said. "He's just a friend I haven't heard from in a long time!"

"A friend who you kissed twice," Erasa said. "So when are you going to kiss him a third time?"

"Never," Videl said. "Our parents still won't let us meet. My dad hates boys, and Gohan's mom hates me."

"Don't worry, _I'll_ figure something out," Erasa said.

"Don't do anything stupid," Videl warned.

"Me? Never!" Erasa said.

She then left and decided to do something stupid.

* * *

><p>Gohan took a deep breath. It was time.<p>

"Mom?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked.

_Don't be scared, don't be scared..._ Gohan thought.

"I have...something to ask you," he said.

"The answer is no, sweetie," Chi-Chi said.

"Wh-what?" Gohan asked. "I didn't even ask it yet!"

Chi-Chi smiled an all-knowing smile. She knew that whenever Gohan had that look on his face, along with him being extremely nervous, it meant that he was thinking about doing something which was against the rules.

"Let me guess," Chi-Chi said. "You...want to go to the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"Yes!" Gohan said. "I mean, no! Yes, I want to go to the tournament, but that's not what I want to ask about!"

"Oh?" Chi-Chi asked. "What is it, then?"

"It's...um..._isvilsbirdaynexeek..._" Gohan mumbled.

"Speak up," Chi-Chi said.

"It's Videl's birthday next week, and I want to go visit her," Gohan said. "Please, can I go?"

"Videl...that's Hercule's daughter, right?" Chi-Chi said. "Hmmm...I don't think so."

"But why not?" Gohan asked. "She's my friend!"

"As I recall, she was rude and disrespectful," Chi-Chi said. "She's the one who kept trying to send you letters, even though I told her that you're grounded."

"But I'm not grounded anymore, right?" Gohan asked. "So it should be okay for me to go visit her! It'll only be for her birthday."

"Well..." Chi-Chi said. It _would_ be nice for Gohan to make friends his own age, especially friends of the female variety. But Videl wasn't the right kind of girl for him; Gohan needed a sweet girl who would help take care of him, not a loud-mouthed girl who would try to control him. Then again, beggars can't be choosers...

"Before I can make a decision, I want to hear from Videl's parents," Chi-Chi said. "I need to know when and where this party is, and what kind of adult supervision will be taking place. Only then will I decide whether or not you can go."

"YES!" Gohan said, hugging Chi-Chi. "I knew you'd say yes! Oh, Mom, I love you!"

"I love you, too, Gohan," Chi-Chi said, patting her son's head.

_I __didn't__ say yes,_ she thought. _But he seems excited anyway. I really should let him leave our house more. Who knows? Maybe he'll meet a nice girl there..._

That was when the doorbell rang.

***Ding dong***

"That's probably Dende," Gohan said. "We've got more training today."

"Have fun," Chi-Chi said. "Make sure not to hurt yourself."

"Aw, I'll be fine," Gohan said. He ran to the front door and opened it, only to find Erasa standing there.

"SURPRISE!" Erasa shouted. "It's me, Erasa San!"

"AAAAA!" Gohan screamed.

"It took _forever_ to find you!" Erasa said. "I think that cloud thing must be broken, because I can't ride on it. But I asked the police people to look you up, and they had your address!"

"Gohan, who is it?" Chi-Chi asked, going to the front hallway area.

"Hi, Gohan's mom!" Erasa said. "Remember me?"

"_You,_" Chi-Chi said. _"You're_ the girl that tricked me into marrying Hercule."

"Wow, you totally _do_ remember me!" Erasa said. "That's great!"

"Um, that's not a good thing..." Gohan said.

"And you've become famous by pretending that _you_ fought Cell, not my son!" Chi-Chi said.

"Well, um...yeah, that's _true_, but I've also done some superhero work on the side and..." Erasa said.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Chi-Chi yelled.

"Woah, woah, woah," Gohan said, stepping between the two women. "Let's calm down for a second, and see if we can't figure this out."

Gohan took a deep breath. _"Erasa, what the heck are you doing here?" _he snapped.

"Eugh," Erasa said, flinching slightly.

"No, seriously, why _are_ you here?" Gohan asked. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"Well, I came by because you'd make a great boyfriend!" Erasa said.

Chi-Chi's face turned red with rage. "I would _never_ let my son date you, you stupid little—!"

"Not for me!" Erasa said. "I've got enough boyfriends. I meant for Videl!"

"Oh, God," Gohan said, slapping his forehead. He suddenly remembered Erasa's weird obsession with relationships. "Is _that_ why you came here? You want to set me up with Videl?"

"Yeah!" Erasa said. "You kissed her twice, which is more than anyone else has, so you'd be a great boyfriend for her!"

"You—you did _WHAT?_" Chi-Chi yelled. "Gohan, you KISSED a girl?"

"Mom! It's not what you think!" Gohan said.

"Isn't it romantic?" Erasa asked. "The two of them, sharing their first kiss together! With all the boys I've kissed, I think only 10% of them were first kisses."

"Oh, geez, oh, geez," Gohan moaned. "E...you..._why the heck did you come here?"_

"Hey!" Erasa said. "I thought you'd be a little bit nicer to me! After all, you haven't seen me in forever! You should be giving me a welcome back kiss, or at least a hug, or—"

Both Gohan and Chi-Chi forcibly threw Erasa out of the house.

"Mom...I...I'm sorry about that," Gohan said.

Chi-Chi caught her breath. "Go up to your room, Gohan," she said. "You're grounded again."


	30. Another Training Montage

Erasa was thinking about forcing her way back inside Gohan's house when Dende arrived for his training session.

"Erasa!" Dende said. "Is that you?"

"Huh?" Erasa said, turning around. "Oh, it's you! Gohan's weird green friend."

"Dende!" Dende said.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak German," Erasa said.

"No, that's my name!" Dende said. "It's Dende, remember?"

"Um, no, sorry," Erasa said.

Dende smiled at Erasa. His crush on her hadn't faded over time, or over the fact that she was no longer interested in him, ever since her memory was erased.

"So, do you want to go get something to eat together?" Dende asked.

"You're green," Erasa said.

"That doesn't mean I can't be a great boyfriend!" Dende said. "Please, give me another chance! You almost married me once, remember?"

"Woah," Erasa said, stepping back. "Um...I think I have to go home now. Bye!"

She flew away at top speed.

"WHY DOESN'T SHE LOVE ME?" Dende shouted.

* * *

><p>Chi-Chi went up to Gohan's room, about twenty minutes later.<p>

"Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Oh, hey, Mom," Gohan said. "Let me guess. I'm grounded for another year."

"No," Chi-Chi said. "I've thought about it, and I decided you're not grounded."

"Really?" Gohan asked.

"That Erasa girl clearly has issues," Chi-Chi said. "It wouldn't be right to punish you for something she did."

"Thank you, Mom!" Gohan said.

"But it _is_ right to punish you for something you've done," Chi-Chi said. "Something like kiss a girl twice, without telling me about it."

Gohan's face fell. "I have to get your permission before I can kiss someone?" _That _was going to lead to awkward conversations in the future.

"You don't have to go _that_ far, but you still have to be honest with me," Chi-Chi said. "I'm your mother, Gohan. If you like a girl, you should tell me about it, instead of keeping it a secret."

"So I can go to Videl's party next week?" Gohan asked eagerly.

"No, that's out of the question," Chi-Chi said. "But you _can_ go to the World Martial Arts Tournament, on one condition."

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"You have to win against that crazy Erasa girl!" Chi-Chi said.

"And what about Videl?" Gohan asked. "She'll be there, too."

"You can spend time with your little..._friend_," Chi-Chi said. "Just make sure to tell me about it, okay?"

"Okay, I promise!" Gohan said eagerly.

Chi-Chi sighed. In her opinion, she was getting far too lenient in her old age. If this trend continued, by the time Goten was sixteen, he would have five girlfriends and four kids.

(What actually happened is that Goten had two girlfriends and three kids, by age twenty, but that's an entirely different story.)

* * *

><p>Erasa had a surprise visitor outside her room that night.<p>

"Augh!" she said. "You followed me _home?_"

"I still love you," Dende said. "Please go out with me again!"

"I've told you like ten times, no!" Erasa said. "You're a green alien!"

"I thought long and hard about this, and the only way I can express my feelings for you..." Dende said. "...is through SONG!"

Dende pulled out the only instrument he could play—the kazoo—and started playing a power ballad.

_Erasa, I love you  
>Even more than my kazoo<em>

_Errrrrrrraaaaaaasssssaaaaaaa!_

_Please marry me a second time!  
>I still love you!<em>

Erasa ended up calling the cops on Dende, and he was thrown in jail overnight.

* * *

><p>Things seemed to go back to normal, after that day. Dende was released from jail, and he wisely decided to stop bugging Erasa...for the time being. Gohan and Videl still communicated with each other through nimbus-mail, although they made extra sure to prevent anyone else from reading their messages.<p>

Gohan didn't go to Videl's birthday party, which was actually for the best, because Hercule insisted that no boys were allowed.

Really, not much of interest happened over the next few weeks, except for the fact that all of our heroes began training for the World Martial Arts tournament. Let's take a look at the various ways they underwent training, shall we?

* * *

><p>"HrrrrrAAAUAGH!" Gohan shouted, going Super Saiyan 2. He reflected that it took a <em>ton<em> of effort for him to do this. It literally took almost a minute; if he was actually in a fight for his life, and it took him this long to power up, he would be dead.

He punched the punching machine, and it recorded a score of 8,238. That was how many pounds of pressure came with the punch.

_I'm slowing down, I guess,_ Gohan thought. _But the good news is that Erasa hasn't been in constant training, either. The last enemy she fought with a power level over 20 was Majin Buu._

Gohan began with punches and kicks to warm up, then he began focusing his mind. He knew he would need the highest concentration, in order to push himself to the next level. Now that Gohan knew there was such a thing as Super Saiyan 3, he knew he would have to become one in order to defeat Erasa.

_Good thing I never explained to her about the different Super Saiyan levels..._ Gohan thought, grinning slightly.

* * *

><p>Videl found an extremely secluded field, then closed her eyes for a moment. She let the energy inside herself build for a while, then she calmed it down and gently pushed the energy beneath her.<p>

She lifted up into the air a few inches. She looked around, double-checking no one was there to see her, then she flew higher.

_Flying is so cool,_ Videl thought. _It's too bad I can't do it unless no one else is around._

Videl started moving her arms and legs around, experimentally. It felt very strange to move her limbs, without really feeling any of the effects of gravity. Exaggerated motions that would make her fall down normally could be performed with greater ease up in the skies. For example, she could easily do a kick and backflip combination.

Videl tried out various attacks, seeing what they were like in midair. It was easier to do some attacks, but others were harder. For example, punching. Videl was used to taking a step forward while punching, shifting her body weight for maximum impact. But when you're floating in midair, stepping forward as part of an attack is more useless.

She experimented with using her energy to propel herself forward, in place of stepping forward. Eventually, she ran out of energy and had to land back on the ground. She took a quick drink of water, then tried again.

_Fighting in the air like this is dangerous,_ Videl realized. _I have to protect myself from attacks on __all__ sides, including above and below. How the heck do you block a punch coming from beneath you, without turning your whole body?_

Videl knew the odds of having to fight in midair in the tournament were very slim. However, Gohan promised he would be there, and Erasa knew how to fight in midair, too. Videl thought some preparation would be better than none.

Since Gohan and Erasa were the only _real_ competitors Videl had, she hoped that they would fight each other in, say, the second round. That way, Videl would only have to fight one of them on the way to the finals. A strong and unexpected Kamehameha would probably be enough to ensure victory.

"I'm going to win this year," Videl said. "You just wait and see, Gohan."

* * *

><p>Sharpener swung his baseball bat seven times in a row, then fell over from dizziness.<p>

...That was about as much training as he could handle.

* * *

><p>Erasa was the favored fighter in all the polls; everyone figured that she would win the tournament with her superhuman speed and strength.<p>

So really, in her opinion, there was no good reason to go into training. She was confident she would win no matter what.

Of course, there were side benefits to training...

"Ninety..." Erasa said, grunting slightly at the effort of doing so many reps with a full-sized train car. "Ninety-one...ninety-two..."

A small crowd of boys gathered around her to watch.

"Woah, look at her go!" one boy shouted. "That's what I call training!"

"She must be the strongest girl ever!" another boy said.

"WOW!" a third boy said.

"One hundred!" Erasa said, putting down the train. Then she looked up at the crowd of astonished males surrounding her.

"Oh, hey boys!" Erasa said, casually. "I didn't notice you there. Nice day, isn't it?"

All the boys agreed, but that wasn't saying much. Erasa could have insulted them, and they would have agreed with her.

"Phew! I could use a drink after that workout!" Erasa said, wiping some imaginary sweat off of her forehead. "Anyone have any money?"

"I do!" one boy shouted.

"No, me!"

Erasa smiled as all the boys began fighting over which one would have the honor of buying her some lemonade. When these boys were added to her social calendar, she would have dates for the rest of the month.

* * *

><p>Dende was sparring with Gohan. Gohan was using this as an opportunity to practice dodging. Dende hadn't landed a hit on Gohan in over six minutes.<p>

"Come on, you've got to try harder!" Gohan said. "You'll never win against Erasa if you can't even hit her!"

"You're too fast!" Dende said. "It's not fair!"

"Don't use that as an excuse to give up," Gohan said. "Remember, you're doing this for...um, love."

"Yeah...love..." Dende said. He put on an extra burst of speed and flew at Gohan again.

"Close!" Gohan said. "Next time, aim for my body, not for my arms. It's easy for me to move my arms out of the way of an attack; it's harder for me to move my whole body out of the way."

Dende continued with a series of unsuccessful attacks, until the training session was interrupted by a familiar orange cloud.

"Time out!" Gohan said. He flew over the Flying Nimbus and picked up the piece of paper on it, with great eagerness.

"Are you _still_ sending messages to Videl?" Dende asked. "Haven't you run out of things to write about yet?"

"Nope," Gohan said, reading the message.

"Sheesh," Dende muttered. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's doing this for love."

"Did you say something?" Gohan asked, looking up from Videl's letter.

"Never mind," Dende said.

* * *

><p>"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine...one hundred!" Hercule said, grunting. "One hundred situps!"<p>

Hercule was well-known for having rock hard abs. Or is it that Hercule was known for being as dumb as a rock? I forget which.

"Now for the pushups," he said. "One...two...three..."

"Hey, Mr. S!" a voice said.

Hercule stopped working out to see a cheerful Erasa approaching.

"Erasa!" Hercule said. "What brings you here to the dojo?"

"I need to talk to you about the tournament," she said. "What's going to happen if we fight each other?"

"Uh, we won't," Hercule said. "You're in the Junior Division, and I'm in the Adult Division."

"Yeah, but the winner of the Junior Division gets an exhibition match with the former champion," Erasa said. "That could easily be me and you."

"If that happens, we give them a good show!" Hercule said. "Why, what's the big deal?"

Erasa looked left and right to make sure no one was listening. "There's no need to pretend you can fight me," Erasa said. "We both know I could kill you in a second. I'm asking if you want me to throw the match."

"Of course not, are you crazy?" Hercule asked. "In my entire career, I've never fixed a match or won by cheating! That's dishonest!"

"You care about honesty?" Erasa asked. "What about you lying to everyone about Cell?"

"Shhhh!" Hercule said. "That was a mistake on my part! Ever since then, I've been good!"

Erasa was pretty sure Hercule lied to the world on purpose, not by accident, but this wasn't the place to argue over Hercule's moral qualities. Besides, that was Videl's job.

"So...I just fight like normal?" Erasa asked.

"You do whatever you want," Hercule said. "I've thought it out from all the angles, and it doesn't really matter who wins. There won't be any shame for me if I lose to you. You're my student, after all."

Hercule and Erasa made a public show of being on good terms. For a month or so, he had given her lessons on fighting, which actually helped her, believe it or not. Erasa's Saiyan instincts were useful in a fight, but she still had to learn the basics.

"What if Videl wins a fight against you?" Erasa asked.

"...Then she's grounded," Hercule said.

Erasa laughed. "Speaking of Videl, I've been meaning to ask," she said. "She's sixteen now."

"Yes...and?" Hercule asked slowly.

"So can she go out on dates now?" Erasa asked. "I swear, she must be the only girl in our class who hasn't had a boyfriend yet!"

"Absolutely NOT!" Hercule said. "She is _too young_ for anything like that! I've seen those boys at your school, and I'm not letting any of them near my daughter! In fact, you should stay away from those boys, too!"

"I can take care of myself," Erasa said. "Videl can, too."

"I'm not worried about one of the boys trying to beat you up," Hercule said. "I'm worried about them trying to break your heart."

"Aw...really?" Erasa asked. "I didn't know you cared, Mr. S!"

Hercule coughed. "Well, uh...the answer is still no," he said. "Videl can't date any boys unless _I_ approve of them first!"

"So all I have to do is find a boy you approve of!" Erasa said excitedly. "That's great!"

"I never said—" Hercule said.

"I know just the guy, too!" Erasa said. "You'll love him! He's sweet and nice and kind of a dork, but still great boyfriend material!"

"No no no no no!" Hercule said, stomping his foot. "I will not allow—"

"You're the greatest, Mr. S!" Erasa said, giving Hercule a slight kiss on the cheek before running away. She couldn't wait to tell Videl the good news! Turning sixteen meant that dates were allowed—sure, they had to be screened by Hercule first, but now they were allowed!

Poor Erasa became very disappointed when she learned the truth about Hercule's anti-dating policy.

* * *

><p>The weeks passed, and eventually, it was time for the World Martial Arts Tournament.<p>

A week before the big event, however, something curious happened on top of Kami's Lookout. An hour after sunset, a cloaked figure flew to the lookout. Taking great care not to be noticed, this person snuck into the large building.

The intruder had little trouble finding his destination: the room where the dragon statue was usually kept. There, the intruder was delighted to find two dragonballs, along with the dragon radar. He stuffed all three of these items into a small sack.

_They should really have more security in this place..._ the intruder thought. _Then again, they don't expect anyone to be able to get all the way up here, so that makes sense._

Smirking, the intruder made his way to his next destination: the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.


	31. Arriving at the Tournament

It was midnight, and the desert winds were brutal. Only a fool would be outside in those conditions. A fool...or an overly cautious villain.

The hooded figure closed its eyes and searched for nearby energy signatures. There weren't any earthlings within thirty miles.

The villain smiled, then pulled out his bag of dragonballs. He dropped them on the ground, then said, "Eternal dragon, I summon you forth by your name! Shenron!"

Out of the dragonballs rose the mighty eternal dragon. If it hadn't been night, someone might have noticed that the sky was darker.

"What is your wish?" Shenron asked.

"I wish for immortality!" the villain shouted.

"It...is...granted..." Shenron said, his eyes flashing.

The villain laughed loudly, but no one ever heard it besides him and the dragon.

* * *

><p><em>Less than Twelve Hours Later...<em>

Hercule and Videl leaned back in their big blue chairs, with their eyes closed. A busy stylist was adding a few last-minute touches to both of them.

"Just think," Hercule said. "In less than five minutes, we'll be in front of the cameras."

Videl squirmed in her chair. "Yeah..." she said flatly. "That's...great."

Hercule could sense his daughter's hesitation. "If I haven't said so already, I'm proud of you for doing this," he said. "In fact, I was really surprised when you asked to go to the stylist with me."

"Yeah, well..." Videl said. "We have to look good if we're making a public appearance, right?"

"Right," Hercule said. "I know you don't like my showboating sometimes, but it's part of the job description. Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately," Videl said. "At least it's just for one day, though."

* * *

><p>"Erasa San is favored to win all of her fights this—"<p>

"The father/daughter combination of Hercule and Videl, both of whom won their respective divisions in the last tournament—"

"—could not be reached for comment—"

Vegeta sneered as his family walked past the various news reporters. "Why did we even come here?" he asked.

"Because, someone needs to help support Gohan," Bulma said. "Besides, you like fighting."

"I wanna fight!" Trunks said.

"No," Bulma said.

"I don't care about Kakarott's brat, or any of the other pathetic Earthling fighters," Vegeta said. "In fact, I should show them what _real_ fighting is like, by entering myself."

"Don't you dare!" Bulma said. "Our family has enough problems as it is, with four children."

"Now you know why Saiyans send their young off-planet for the duration of their childhood," Vegeta said smugly. "Could you imagine one of your human daycares on Planet Vegeta?"

* * *

><p>The crowd screamed, as Erasa waved to her adoring fans. Most of the fans were boys who thought she was cute, and girls who wanted to grow up to be a tough superhero, just like her.<p>

"Aw, gee, you guys are great!" Erasa said to the crowd. "See, _this_ is why I don't get paid for being a superhero! Having fans like you is payment enough!"

(That, and Erasa already had more money than she knew what to do with.)

"Erasa, I need to talk with you for a moment," a voice behind Erasa said.

Erasa turned around to see a tough-looking boy with black hair and a black mask.

"Who are you?" Erasa asked.

"My name is Robin, and I'm the leader of the Teen Titans," the boy said.

"Ugh, another weirdo fanboy," Erasa said. "Look, fans aren't supposed to get past the border. This area is supposed to be for fighters only."

"I'm not a fan," Robin said. "I'm a teenage superhero, just like you."

"Right, _you're_ a teenage superhero," Erasa said.

"All of the Teen Titans are teenage crimefighters," Robin said. "We want you to join us and stop all the evil supervillains who are trying to take over the world."

"Are you crazy?" Erasa asked. "There's no such thing as evil supervillains who want to take over the world!"

Erasa marched away from the weird kid named Robin, and she accidentally walked into a buff man in red.

"Hi, I'm Superman," the man said. "Erasa, we want you to join the Justice League and—"

"Are you wearing pajamas?" Erasa asked.

"No, these are—"

"Later!" Erasa said. She marched away from the tall man and kept moving through the crowd.

* * *

><p>"Yep, I'm gonna win this year!" Sharpener bragged to his girlfriend. As usual, she was clutching onto his arm as they walked through the crowd.<p>

"Oh, I'm so proud of you for entering!" Angela said. "I don't care if you win or not! I love you, no matter what!"

"I love you, too, Ange—woah!" Sharpener said, stopping suddenly.

"What is it?" Angela asked.

Sharpener pointed his finger towards a roped-off area. Hercule and Videl were standing there, and they were talking to the cameras for a bit.

"Is that _Videl?_" Sharpener asked. "What did she do to her hair?"

"That's her, all right," Angela said. "Wow, I've never seen her with a different hairstyle before. Or _any_ hairstyle, really."

"That braid works well on her..." Sharpener said.

"Hey, stop checking out other girls," Angela ordered.

"Uh, right," Sharpener said. "I'm over Videl. You're the one I love, Angela."

"Hmmph," Angela said.

"No, really," Sharpener said. "Your hair beats hers, any day. Your hair is large and beautiful, and almost as well-conditioned as mine!"

Sharpener flung his hair over his shoulder, in slow motion. Angela started swooning over her handsome boyfriend.

* * *

><p>Sharpener wasn't the only one who was surprised by Videl's appearance.<p>

"Hey, is that lip gloss?" Erasa asked. Once Erasa had finished her TV spots and avoided those weird stalkers, she had sought out Videl.

"Maybe," Videl said.

"You're wearing _makeup?_" Erasa asked. "You're wearing makeup. I don't believe it. You have a new hairdo and makeup."

"It's just for the tournament, that's all," Videl said. "I need to keep my hair out of my eyes."

"Yeah, right," Erasa said. "You knew Gohan was coming, so you decided to look good."

"Hey, Dad insisted on it," Videl said. "But speaking of Gohan, where is he? He should be here by now."

"Nervous?" Erasa asked.

"Oh, shut up," Videl said. "You know I don't care about boys."

"Hey, there he is!" Erasa said, pointing.

"Gohan!" Videl shouted. "I—wait, he's not there!"

Erasa began laughing.

"Rrrrgh!" Videl said. "You're the worst best friend ever!"

Eventually, though, the Son family _did_ show up. Three-year-old Goten was jumping up and down, while fifteen-year-old Gohan was looking nervous. Chi-Chi, whose age I am not going to reveal, looked angry.

"GOHAN!" Videl said. She ran over to him.

"Videl, is that you?" Gohan asked. "You look..."

"You've changed in the past two years," Videl said, looking up at Gohan. He was _still_ taller than her, unfortunately. His eyes were larger than she remembered, and his hair was shorter. But he still looked friendly and kind.

"You're more beautiful than I remembered," Gohan said softly.

"Okay, that's it!" Chi-Chi said. "You, stop flirting with my son!"

"Oh, yes," Videl said. "Your mother."

"Mom, this is my friend Videl," Gohan said. "She's—"

"The one you kissed twice," Chi-Chi said. She leaned over, getting directly in Videl's face. "You keep your lips away from my son, until I determine whether or not you're good enough to have my grandchildren!"

"...Nice to meet you, too," Videl said. "Come on, Gohan, let's go talk somewhere private."

"Ooooo, by 'talk', she probably means 'kiss'," Erasa said. "They haven't seen each other in so long, and Videl needs to test out that new lip gloss..."

"No kissing!" Chi-Chi ordered. "And you, loud girl, stop talking!"

"I'm not loud!" Erasa said.

"Oh, you're loud, all right," a sinister voice said.

Erasa turned around. Yet another strange person was standing in front of her. This one was about as tall as Videl—short, in other words—and he was wearing a large blue cloak.

"Who are you?" Erasa asked.

The hooded person chuckled. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough," he said. "I've been waiting a long time for this day...the day when I take over the Planet Earth! Ha!"

"There are a _lot_ of weirdos here today," Erasa whispered to Chi-Chi. "If you ignore them, they'll go away."

"Thanks for the tip," Chi-Chi said, pulling Goten close to her. "Now, Gohan, it's time to—where'd he go?"

Chi-Chi looked around, but Gohan hadn't gone far. He and Videl went over to a nearby wall, in order to have more privacy while they talked. Gohan was holding Videl's hand and talking more animatedly than Chi-Chi had seen him act in weeks.

"Hmmm..." Chi-Chi said. "Well, she _seems_ to make him happy," she said. "That's #1."

"#1?" Erasa asked.

"On the list, of course," Chi-Chi said, pulling out her official list of requirements for girls who wanted to date Gohan. The list covered everything Chi-Chi wanted in a daughter-in-law, including "pleasant singing voice" and "willingness to name one of the grandchildren after Chi-Chi".

"Wow..." Erasa said. "You're even more obsessive than—"

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" a loud voice yelled.

"...Hercule," Erasa said. "Oh, boy."

"Annoying in-laws," Chi-Chi said. "Looks like she doesn't fit requirement #22. That's going to cost her!"

"Dad, I can explain!" Videl said.

"Explain, nothing!" Hercule said. "This boy has been driven wild by his hormones, and he's trying to seduce you! Let go of her hand right now!"

"Uh...remember me, Mr. Hercule?" Gohan asked.

"Remember you?" Hercule asked. He thought for a moment, as his famous memory set to work. "Yes, I think I do! You're Gohan, the son of that horrifying—"

"Hello, Hercule," Chi-Chi said.

Hercule let out a high-pitched scream, then tried to run up the nearby wall. It took four times before he reached the top.

"We're never going to get time alone," Videl moaned.

"Yeah..." Gohan said.

Several feet away, the hooded villain scoffed. "Ignore me, huh?" he asked. "That's just fine. We'll see how you like it when I kill you weaklings once and for all!"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, our heroes made their way to the registration area. Videl and Hercule were already registered, but Chi-Chi still had to fill out Gohan's paperwork.<p>

"Hey, Gohan!" someone called. "Videl!"

It was Dende.

"Hi, Dende," Gohan said.

"I remember you," Videl said. "You're that green guy with the crush on Erasa."

"Is she here?" Dende asked, looking around. "I'm going to get her attention by winning the tournament today!"

"Uh..." Gohan said. The last time they saw Erasa, she was kissing some boy he didn't know.

"She's...somewhere else," Videl said.

"You mean, like the contestants only area?" Dende asked. "I just checked there, but she hasn't checked in yet!"

"There's a contestants only area?" Videl asked, sounding excited.

"Sure, didn't you know that?" Dende said.

"I guess I forgot about it," Videl said. "Is there one for just the Junior Division contestants, though?"

"Yeah, they've got one for both divisions," Dende said. "I tried to sneak into the adult one, but they wouldn't let me in."

"Perfect!" Videl said. "Privacy at last! Gohan, let's go there once your mom finishes your paperwork."

"Huh?" Gohan asked. He had gotten distracted, looking at Videl's hair. He wasn't sure if he liked her with longer hair, because it took attention away from her pretty face. But it was so neat and orderly that he sort of wanted to undo her braid and tie it back up again, just to see what it was like.

"What were you thinking about?" Videl asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Your hair," Gohan answered honestly. "It's nice."

"Thanks," Videl said. "I had it done up special for today."

"I like your normal hair, too, though," Gohan said quickly. "I mean, it's not like you're ugly all of the time or—oh..."

Videl smiled. "Relax," she said. "You don't have to worry about offending me. We're friends, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." Gohan said. "I dunno, I kind of feel nervous." Meeting a girl you kissed, after two years of absence, was a lot of pressure on Gohan. After all, he didn't have much experience dealing with girls.

"Just be yourself, and you'll do fine," Videl said, patting Gohan's hand and trying to look confident.

_Was that the right thing to say?_ Videl wondered. _Ugh, that was so corny! It was like something out of a children's movie! He's not going to want to—_

_Focus, Videl! Calm down! Just be yourself, and you'll do fine._

_...Did I really just think that? I must be going crazy._


	32. Junior Division  Round One

**Author's Note: **The superheroes who appeared in the previous chapter were just a one-time joke. They won't appear again in this story. Check the crossovers section, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

It makes you wonder, though, why the Z-Fighters have never been officially contacted by the government. Maybe I missed the episode where Vegeta is arrested by the CIA and sent to Area 51.

* * *

><p>Videl and Gohan finally got some time alone together, in the Junior Division Contestants area. After twenty minutes of trying to get away from their parents, they finally found themselves in a situation where they could say whatever they wanted.<p>

...And they immediately became stuck, trying to figure out what to say to each other.

"So..." Gohan said awkwardly.

"Yeah..." Videl said. "Did you want to talk about...?"

"Not really..."

"Maybe..."

"We haven't talked about it yet, not even in our letters..."

"Talked about what?"

"The kiss," Gohan said, blushing. "Do you...?"

"I..." Videl said, her face also turning red. "It was a long time ago, and..."

"No, I understand," Gohan said. "You didn't want to—I mean, you _don't_ want to—"

"I didn't mean to—"

"Yeah, we should forget about it, and—"

"Sorry I haven't said anything—"

"Don't be sorry! It was my fault for—"

"The kiss was amazing," Videl said. Then she took a deep breath. _There, I said it._

"You...you..." Gohan said.

"And I don't mean the kiss, I mean the kiss_ing_," Videl said. "All of them. I never experienced anything like it."

"Me neither," Gohan said. "It was...great."

Videl sighed. "But I've thought a lot about it, and...I think it's safest if we don't do that again. I like you, Gohan. But I don't want a relationship built on kissing."

"We...we're in a relationship?" Gohan asked.

"I don't think so," Videl said. "Not yet. But I hope we can. You're the only guy I like in that way."

"I hope we can have a special relationship, too," Gohan said. "And thanks."

"For what?" Videl asked.

"Thanks for agreeing," Gohan said. "I thought about it a lot, too. I liked the kissing but...it sort of scares me that I liked it. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of," Videl said.

"I thought you'd want to do it again," Gohan said. "And that scared me even more. I mean, the girls on TV and Erasa—"

"I'm not like them," Videl said. "You don't have to worry about that."

"I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure," Gohan said. "I mean, when I look at Dende..."

"I know, he's crazy for Erasa," Videl said. "And she's crazy, too. I don't want that to be us, either. I want us to be...us."

"Ourselves," Gohan said. "No parents, no crazy friends, no pressure at all."

Videl sighed. "It'd be nice if we could live in a dream world like that," she said. "At least for a little while."

* * *

><p>Erasa watched her two friends, from thirty feet away.<p>

"I can't _believe_ they won't let me hang out with them," Erasa said. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"You can hang out with me!" Dende said, popping up out of nowhere.

"Augh!" Erasa said. "You—that green guy!"

"Why does everyone call me that?" Dende complained. "My name isn't 'Green Guy'. It's 'Dende'!"

"Right, Dende," Erasa said. "What do you think they're talking about? How much they love each other?"

"We can talk about that," Dende said, hearts appearing in his eyes.

"Uh, no thanks," Erasa said. "Look, kid, you're nice and all that, but I don't date people from a different species."

"That's not fair!" Dende said. "You date humans all the time, and they're a completely different species!"

"Shhh!" Erasa said, quietly. "I don't want people to know I'm half-Saiyan, half-Kazrian! That could destroy my reputation!"

"I'm just saying," Dende said, lowering the volume of his voice. "You don't have any human genes at all, and you still date humans. Why is it so hard for you to date a Namekian?"

"Namekians are a lot different from me than humans are," Erasa said. "Besides, I already have five boyfriends."

"FIVE?" Dende shouted.

"Shhh! Yes, _five_," Erasa said. "Plus ten rotaters and eighty hopefuls. What I'm doing now—what I've been _trying_ to do for months—is to whittle the list down to one boy! The last thing I need is more boys vying for my affection!"

"But Erasa..." Dende moaned, his antenna drooping. Why, oh _why_ did they accidentally erase Erasa's memory when they erased the memories of everyone on the planet?

Erasa's face was uncharacteristically cruel as she glared at Dende. Her Saiyan heritage was really coming through at this point, and Dende could get no pity from her.

"Fine," Dende said. "I'll leave you alone for now. See you in the tournament."

* * *

><p>"No, he didn't!" Videl laughed. "You have got to be joking!"<p>

"I'm serious!" Gohan said. "Then Goten—"

"Hey, Videl!" a gruff voice said. "Time to go!"

Videl looked up to see her father, with a stern look on his face.

"Dad!" Videl said. "What are you doing here? This area is for junior division contestants only!"

"You really thought they'd stop the three-time champ from getting in here?" Hercule said, smirking. "Think again!"

"That still doesn't give you the right to interrupt _my personal conversation_—" Videl said angrily.

"Woah, woah, easy there!" Hercule said, waving his arms. "I'm just saying, it's time to go. The junior division fights start in five minutes. Didn't you hear the announcement?"

Videl looked around the courtyard. All the other Junior Division contestants had left already.

"Oh," Videl said. "I guess I was...distracted. Come on, Gohan."

"Right behind you," Gohan said.

"Hold on a second, Videl," Hercule said. "Gohan, you go on ahead. I want to talk to my daughter for a minute."

"Um...sure," Gohan said. "Don't take too long."

Gohan ran away at a rather fast pace, glad for the opportunity to get away from Hercule. It wasn't that Gohan was scared of Hercule, or anything. He just didn't want to have anything to do with the crazy father of his potential girlfriend.

"Dad!" Videl said. "I don't believe you! How could you _do_ something like that?"

"Videl, I..." Hercule began to say.

"No!" Videl said. "I know exactly what you're going to say. _You're too young to have a boyfriend! Boys are evil! Stay away from boys!_ Gohan is the first boy I've ever really liked, and I'm not going to have my stupid father screw it up for me! Do I have to remind you that _he's_ the one who really killed Cell, not you?"

"I...I..." Hercule said. Then he burst into tears. "My little baby girl is growing up!"

"Oh..." Videl said.

Hercule bent over and hugged Videl. "In two years, you're going to move away to college and get married, and I'll never see you again!" he said. "Bwaaaaaaaa!"

"Don't...cry...Dad..." Videl said awkwardly, patting her father on the back. Honestly, Hercule had the maturity of a six-year-old sometimes.

"I knew you would like boys someday!" Hercule said. "I just didn't think it would be so soon!"

"We all have to grow up sometime, Dad," Videl said.

"It's...not...faaaaaaaair!" Hercule cried.

"Okay, seriously, you're acting like a baby," Videl said.

"Huh?" Hercule asked. He stood up, then wiped away some tears. "I'm not being a baby! I'm just concerned! I don't want you to become a floozy like your friend Erasa!"

_Nobody uses the word "floozy" anymore..._ Videl thought.

"I'll be fine," Videl said. "Really. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, I know..." Hercule said. "But be careful around that Gohan kid! I don't trust him. That nice guy act is too good to be true."

"Oh, come on!" Videl said. "How can you judge him like that? You've barely said more than three sentences to him!"

"Oh, and you know so much about him?" Hercule asked. "Both of us haven't had any contact with him in years! He's as much a stranger to me as he is to you!"

The guilty look on Videl's face sparked a thought in Hercule's brain. "You...you haven't been in contact with him, have you?" he asked.

"Uh...I...I gotta go to the fight!" Videl said, quickly kissing her father on the cheek, then running away. "Love you, Dad! Bye!"

"VIDELLLLL!" Hercule screamed.

* * *

><p>The first round of the Junior Division wasn't very interesting, from a fighting standpoint. Gohan won easily, Erasa's opponent forfeited the match, and Videl's opponent was a six-year-old boy. Even Dende managed to win his first fight within five minutes.<p>

The most interesting fight was the last one, between Sharpener and the mysterious hooded villain, whose name was revealed to be Shredder.

The announcer spoke into the microphone. "And for the final battle of the Junior Championships, we have seventeen-year-old Shredder versus seventeen-year-old Sharpener! Contestants ready?"

"I have a few questions," Shredder said. "I know there's a rule where you get disqualified if you kill your opponent. Does that apply only in the main tournament, or does it count here as well?"

"It applies to both tournaments," the announcer said. "If your opponent dies in the fight, you get eliminated."

"Okay, but what if he dies _after_ the fight?" Shredder asked. "Like, ten minutes after. Do I still get disqualified for that?"

Sharpener was irked by these questions. "Dude, are you _trying_ to find a loophole so you can kill me?"

"I don't want to get eliminated due to a technicality," Shredder said.

"We have had no deaths in the Junior Division Tournament in the past, and we don't want to start having deaths now," the announcer said. "Is that clear?"

Sharpener nodded. Shredder seemed satisfied with that answer, as he stopped speaking.

"Then, fight!"

"ARRRGH!" Sharpener shouted. He ran full-speed at Shredder, ready to punch him. Shredder lazily reached out an arm and grabbed Sharpener by the neck.

"Nice try," Shredder said.

The mysterious villain lifted Sharpener up about a foot off of the ground. Sharpener struggled to break loose, but then Shredder punched Sharpener twice on the shoulders, twice in the chest, and once in the stomach. Five punches in five seconds.

Then he tossed Sharpener aside like a used tissue. Sharpener landed outside of the ring.

"Eush..." he moaned.

"Sharpener!" Angela said, running to Sharpener's side. "Oh my God, Sharpener, are you okay?"

"You're pretty..." Sharpener said, in an odd-sounding voice.

"Shredder wins, with a series of fast punches!" the announcer said. "That's it for the first round!"

Shredder stomped down the stairs on the side of the arena, and he walked back to where the other contestants were gathered. Videl, Gohan and Erasa were all together, and it looked Videl was going to say something, when Shredder pointed his finger at Erasa.

"You," he said.

"Who, me?" Erasa asked.

"I want to talk to you," Shredder said. "In private."

"Um...okay," Erasa said. She and Shredder walked off a short distance, then stopped. "What do you want to talk about?" Erasa asked.

"You heard what I said about being eliminated, yes?" Shredder asked.

"You mean, how you were concerned you'd get eliminated for killing someone?" Erasa asked. "Yeah, I heard that. It was kind of weird, to be honest. Why would you—?"

"I am not from this planet," Shredder said. "And for that matter, neither are you."

Erasa's eyes went wide. Only a handful of people knew she and Gohan were both half-Saiyans. "How did you know?" she asked.

Shredder ignored the question. "We could easily kill all these humans here, without any real effort," he said. "That is why I expressed concern over their lives. Holding my strength back to avoid killing those weaklings is difficult."

Erasa tensed up. She didn't like the casual tone Shredder used when talking about killing humans. "I don't understand," she said. "Why are you—?"

"You will be my opponent in the final round," Shredder said. "And once that happens, I will stop holding back. I will fight you with all my power. And I will kill you, Erasa."

"You...you're crazy!" Erasa said. "Why would you say something like that?"

"It is inevitable," Shredder said, folding his arms. "I am going to conquer this planet, and you are going to get in my way. Therefore, I must kill you."

"Killing me won't be as easy as you think, weirdo," Erasa said, her eyes narrowing. "If you're so confident, why don't you take off that stupid hood and show everyone what you _really_ look like?"

"I told you; I'm from another planet," Shredder said. "Enjoy your last hour of life, Erasa."

Shredder then disappeared. It took Erasa a few seconds to realize he hadn't _really_ disappeared; he just used the fighting technique where you disappear from one place and reappear in another.

* * *

><p>Gohan and Videl were concerned friends who care for Erasa's well-being, and so, they were deeply disturbed to learn that the mysterious Shredder had threatened her.<p>

...

Just kidding. Videl and Gohan hadn't payed any attention to Erasa, once she had left. The two of them were so absorbed with talking to each other that they didn't notice much of what was going around them.

"Yes, I have a cat," Videl said. "Don't you like cats?"

"No, I don't like any pets in general," Gohan said. "I had a pet dragon once, and it caused big problems."

"A dragon?" Videl asked. "You had a pet _dragon?_ And you don't like Mr. Fluffers. You're crazy."

"You named your cat Mr. Fluffers?" Gohan asked. "You're the crazy one."

"Shut up!" Videl said. "Mom named him, not me!"

"I'm just saying that you have to make sure he's out of the house, or else I won't come visit you," Gohan said.

Videl's eyes seemed to grow in size. "Will you?" she asked.

"Huh?" Gohan asked. "Will I what?"

"Will you visit me?" she asked. "I know our parents won't allow it, but..."

Gohan thought for a second. "Yes," he said. "I don't care what Mom says. Now that I've seen you this once, I want to see you again."

"Good," Videl said. "You can work on your mom, and I can work on my dad. I know he doesn't like you, but...well, if he ever causes _big_ problems, you can always threaten to reveal the truth about the Cell Games."

"I don't want to blackmail your dad, though," Gohan said. "I don't want to do anything bad in order to see you."

"Oh, don't be such a noble hero," Videl said. "I mean, we all know you are one, but try not to show it off so much."

* * *

><p>Erasa was going to rejoin Gohan and Erasa, but she was stopped by a menacing-looking man, with a baby carriage.<p>

"I've been waiting for you, Erasa," the man said.

"Hey, I remember you!" Erasa said. "You're the Saiyan Prince. Vegeema, right?"

"Vegeta," Vegeta corrected.

"Aw, are these your babies?" Erasa said, kneeling down to look at the twin girls. "They're so _cuuuute!_ How old are they?"

"They are four months old," Vegeta said. "And I need to—"

"Gootchie gootchie goo!" Erasa said, playing with one of the children. "What are their names?"

"Bra and Bulla," Vegeta said. "And we have to—"

"Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?" Erasa said. "Wow, Vegetable, I never pictured you as a father. Who knew you had a sensitive side?"

_"My name is Vegeta!" _Vegeta shouted. "And I did not come here so you could play with babies! I have important information to discuss!"

"Fine," Erasa said, standing back up. "What's up?"

"You're about to turn eighteen, correct?" Vegeta asked.

"Well..._technically_," Erasa said. "But according to Earth standards, I just turned sixteen. Why, do you want to throw me a surprise birthday party?"

When Vegeta had found out Erasa was half-Saiyan, this led to the discovery of a surprising fact, concerning her birth date. When her adopted Earth parents guessed how old Baby Erasa was, it turned out they didn't included the year and a half that Erasa had spent in space, flying towards Earth. So in reality, she was about two years older than everyone had thought. Also, her birthday was off by ten months.

At first, Erasa was excited to learn that she was two years older than she thought—it meant she could get a driver's license sooner than expected—but for some reason, the Earth authorities didn't believe it when Vegeta told them to change Erasa's records.

"No, I don't want to throw you a party!" Vegeta snapped. "I want to say that this is a tremendously important moment for you. When you turn eighteen, you are no longer going to be a Saiyan child. You will become a Saiyan woman."

"...This conversation is going to get _really_ awkward, isn't it?" Erasa asked. "I haven't forgotten that whole 'all Saiyan girls undergo evil puberty when they turn thirteen' scare that you used in Chapter Seventeen."

"I didn't know that doesn't apply to half-Saiyans," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "And I thank God that my daughters will never have to undergo that."

Vegeta was wrong. His twin daughters, Bra and Bulla, underwent the female Saiyan puberty when they became thirteen. The Earth would have been destroyed, if Goten hadn't managed to step in and stop them. Vegeta was furious and shocked when he learned Goten had bonded with two of his daughters at once, because Saiyan bonds were a rather rare occurrence.

...But that's another story.

"Fine," Erasa said. "Then what's the big deal about turning eighteen? Let me guess, that's when Saiyans...um...when they get to wear that weird-looking armor stuff for the first time?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Vegeta said. "That's when they can start having children."

Erasa started choking and fell over.

"Of course, Gohan is the ideal mate for you," Vegeta continued. "You are both half-Saiyans, around the same age. As soon as he turns eighteen, the two of you should have children."

"This...you're joking, right?" Erasa asked. "I can't have kids with Gohan! He's in love with my best friend! They just don't know it yet!"

"The future of the Saiyan race depends on it!" Vegeta said. "Soon, your eyebrows will fall off, and it is imperative that we store them—"

"My eyebrows will _what?_" Erasa asked. "What are you talking about?"

Vegeta hesitated for a second.

"Oh," he said. "No one has told you how Saiyans reproduce yet. It's...very different from human reproduction. Once a year, from ages 18 to 88, a Saiyan's eyebrows fall off, and—"

Erasa did not feel like hearing "The Talk" from Vegeta, especially considering that this was the incredibly weird alien version of "The Talk". So she did the only sensible thing. She ran away as quickly as possible.


	33. Junior Division Round Two

**Author's Note: **Mostly fighting in this round.

* * *

><p>"We have nine contestants remaining," the announcer said. "So to make things even, we are actually going to have three people in the first fight. The last remaining fighter wins!"<p>

The two large boys grinned at each other. "Wanna work together to smash the green guy?" the first one asked.

"Sure!" the other one said.

Dende grinned in what he hoped was a macho fashion. "Get ready to lose," he said.

"Ooo, this should be a good fight," Chi-Chi said from her spot in the parents' seating section. Parents got special seating for the Junior Division because, to be honest, they were the only ones who really cared about the Junior Division fights. "I wonder if Dende—"

"Chi-Chi!" Hercule said, moving past some people to reach the seat next to Chi-Chi.

"Oh, great," Chi-Chi said. "It's you."

"Long time, no see," Hercule said. "Why, I haven't seen you since...well, that time we thought we were married."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Chi-Chi said. "It was the worst time of my life."

"Okay, I get it, you still don't like me," Hercule said. "I didn't come here to talk about the old times. I came here to talk about our kids."

"As I would expect, you are horribly out of date," Chi-Chi said. "I know that my son is interested in your daughter. They can't keep their eyes off of each other."

"Did you know they've been communicating behind our backs for the past two months?" Hercule asked.

Chi-Chi gasped. _"What?"_ she asked. "How did they—how did you find out?"

"I just asked Videl's blonde friend," Hercule said, referring to Erasa. "She can't keep a secret worth a darn."

"Well, that does it," Chi-Chi said. "Sneaking around behind my back? Oh, she is _in_ for it!"

Chi-Chi furious scribbled some notes down on her sheaf of paper.

"Uh, what's that?" Hercule asked.

"I'm charting the compatibility index of Gohan and Videl, obviously," Chi-Chi said. "So far, it looks like they are 60% compatible with each other, with a 92% percent chance of staying together long-term. However, Videl only has 30% of the desirable qualities for Gohan's girlfriend, with a 47% chance of changing his personality for the worse."

Hercule sweat-dropped. "I am _so_ glad I never married you," he said.

"Same here," Chi-Chi said. "And now that you're here, you can help me get more data on Videl. When she's having dinner, what does she eat first, her vegetables or her desert?"

"Uh..." Hercule said.

* * *

><p>Dende won his match with his strategy of getting knocked down, then getting back up again, thanks to his healing powers. This is sometimes called the tubthumping technique.<p>

Erasa had the next fight, and she went up against a nine-year-old girl.

"Wow, I get to fight with Erasa!" the girl said. "This is _so cool! _You're my favorite athlete!"

"Aw, gee, thanks!" Erasa said. "Hope you're ready to lose, though!"

The girl ran at Erasa and tried punching her. Erasa was able to dodge without any trouble, then she kneeled down and patted the girl on the head.

"Nice try," Erasa said. "But trying punching like _this_, okay? It's faster!"

"Like this?" the girl said, trying it out.

"Yeah, that's perfect!" Erasa said.

Erasa won the fight, but the little girl went home happy, because she got a fighting lesson from her hero.

* * *

><p>Gohan's fight was against a fourteen-year-old girl named Pan, who wore an orange bandana, red shirt and black gloves.<p>

"Our two fighters are Gohan Son versus Pan!" the announcer said.

"Gohan Son?" Pan asked. "Dad, is that you?"

"Huh?" Gohan said. "Dad?"

"Oh my gosh, it _is_ you!" Pan said. "It's me, Pan! I'm your daughter from the future!"

"Wha-wha-WHAT?" Gohan asked.

"I haven't been born yet, but I will be soon," Pan explained. "See, you and Mom have me two years after graduating from high school!"

_"I—I have a child at age twenty?"_ Gohan asked.

"Yep!" Pan said. "But don't worry! Our family is great! Grandpa Goku is my best friend, next to Giru the Robot and Trunks!"

Pan told a detailed, yet extremely confusing story about the future. Apparently, Goku was going to be brought back to life with the dragonballs, only to later be turned into a kid for some reason. This meant three of the Z-Fighters had to go through the entire universe, searching for the dragonballs, while a baby attacked Earth.

The part that really horrified Gohan was learning about his future self and Videl, his future wife. They were apparently the worst parents ever, because they let Pan go on life-threatening adventures while they stayed at home and did nothing. Videl was unemployed, and Gohan was some kind of professor. They lived in a special house, built on Goku's property.

Gohan summarized the situation rather well.

"I become a university professor, I have a kid..._and I still live with my parents?_"Gohan shouted. "Are you _CRAZY?_"

"Huh?" Pan said. "I'm not crazy! I'm really your future daughter! Honest!"

Gohan refused to listen to Pan anymore, and the fight then officially began. Determined not to hear any more of her wild tales, Gohan tried to beat Pan as quickly as possible. The sassy young girl put up a good defense, but she was no match for Gohan.

"Ugh..." Pan moaned, as she landed outside the ring. "Daddy...why?"

"Somebody should get this girl a psychiatric exam, quick," Gohan said.

* * *

><p>The final fight of Round Two was between Videl and Shredder.<p>

"Hey," Videl said. "I heard you threatened my friend Erasa."

"So?" Shredder asked.

"So, if you mess with my friend, you mess with me," Videl said. "I'm not afraid of a guy who's dressed up in a stupid-looking costume."

"I happen to look _good_ in this hooded cloak," Shredder said. He threw his arm back to show off the dark piece of cloth that was protecting his identity.

"Yeah, right," Videl said. "Let me guess. You got the costume and the fake name from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

"The what?" Shredder asked. "Never mind. This fight won't last long."

"Ha," Videl said. "I'll have you know that I won the championship last time."

"You did?" Shredder sounded surprised. "Well, in that case...I can have some fun with you."

"And now for the final fight!" the announcer said. "Videl Satan versus Shredder!"

The two contestants went up the stairs to the arena and walked to the middle.

"Ready?" the announcer said. "Fight!"

"Go ahead," Shredder said. "Try your hardest to hurt me."

"You're going to regret that invitation," Videl said. She ran up to Shredder and punched him directly in the face. He didn't react at all.

"Huh?" Videl asked. Shredder's face felt strange.

"No, seriously," Shredder said. "Don't be afraid. There's no need for you to do these weak, warm-up attacks."

"Rrrrr," Videl said. She punched him two more times, with no visible effect. She then tried to trip him, but he remained standing after her sweeping kick, like she hadn't done anything.

"They..._are_ warm-up attacks, right?" Shredder asked. "They're so weak that they can't be your _real_ attacks!"

"That's it!" Videl said. She was sick of this guy, playing around with her. She threw one of her most powerful kicks, right at Shredder's head. His head only tilted backwards two centimeters from the impact.

_Progress,_ Videl thought.

"My turn," Shredder said. He punched Videl in the chest. She flew backwards about half a foot, then counter-attacked. Shredder was caught by surprise that Videl could still stand up, and so she was able to land three blows on him.

The fight between Shredder and Videl was liberating for Videl, in a strange sense. For the first time in her memory, she was able to go all-out in a fight. Usually, she held back during her martial arts battles, because she didn't want to hurt the other fighter. Now, Videl was fighting to kill.

Not that she could kill Shredder, that is. For one thing, Shredder had wished for immortality on the dragon balls. And for another thing, Shredder was a lot stronger than she was. The fight went on for some time, getting increasingly violent as it did.

"Come on, Videl!" Hercule said.

"Prolonged fighting," Chi-Chi said, writing this down. "Not an ingredient in a happy marriage."

"This isn't good," Erasa said. "Videl's exerting way too much energy. She can't keep going at this rate forever."

"That's not what worries me," Gohan said. "I'm worried that her opponent doesn't seem to be slowing down at all."

"One more minute left!" the announcer called. "There's still no winner! In the event of a tie, after the ten-minute fight, it's up to our judges to pick a winner!"

"Oh, dear," Shredder said. "Sounds like it's time to end this game."

"My thoughts exactly," Videl said. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so she jumped up and flipped herself over Shredder's shoulders. He was expecting her to attempt some sort of attack from behind with this move—she had used it earlier in the fight—but this time, she charged up an energy ball and hit him in the face about point-blank range.

"AUGH!" Shredder shouted. "[Bad word]!"

The attack wasn't a strong one, because it had only been charged for half a second, but it still stung like crazy. Videl immediately hit the distracted villain three times in the back, using energy balls to increase the damage.

Shredder then spun around and, in the same movement, did a double-fisted blow to the top of Videl's head. She went smashing into the ground. She tried standing back up, but she was woozy, and the blood leaking over her left eye was preventing her from seeing clearly.

"I thought humans couldn't do energy attacks!" Shredder said. "How did you—?"

"I...didn't want to do this," Videl said. "But...no choice..."

Videl tried to get into the proper stance. "Ka...me..."

Shredder was taken aback. Videl could do basic energy attacks, but this...it looked like she was preparing a powerful, complex attack!

"Ha..." Videl said, falling over before she could finish the Kamehameha attack.

"And Videl has fallen down!" the announcer said. "I think this means that she has lost! With twenty seconds left to go, Shredder wins!"

"Obviously," Shredder said. He turned and walked away from the arena. Medical experts brought in a stretcher to take Videl out. She was still alive, but she had many injuries from being badly beaten. The blood coming out of her head was the most troubling injury, but it was treated almost instantly.

A group of our heroes crowded around Videl as the medical technicians worked on Videl.

"Videllllll!" Hercule cried. "My poor little girl!"

"Hang in there!" Erasa said. "You can do it!"

"You can't die!" Gohan said. "We never even got the chance to kiss again!"

"And you _won't_ get that chance!" Hercule said, turning on Gohan and shaking him by the collar. "You stay away from my dying daughter!"

"She's not going to die," Dende said.

"How do you know, Greenie?" Hercule said. "My daughter was beaten to a pulp!"

"Have you forgotten about my healing powers?" Dende asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Gohan said.

"Healing powers?" Hercule asked.

"Here," Dende said. He broke through the medical technicians and put his hands on Videl's chest. While Hercule howled in protest, Dende said a few words under his breath, and Videl's wounds quickly disappeared.

"Wuh...what?" Videl asked, sitting up. "What happened?"

"I healed you," Dende said.

"No...no way!" Hercule said.

"Dende is the greatest!" Gohan said.

Videl got up, and she was surprised to find that she was good as new. The medical crew was even _more_ surprised than she was, and of course, Hercule was the most surprised of all. He engulfed Videl in a big bear hug.

"I love you!" Hercule said.

"Aw, Dad, everyone's watching..." Videl said.

"Huh," Erasa said. "Green Guy, you're not as bad as I thought you were."

"Does this mean you'll go out with me?" Dende asked hopefully.

"Uh...no," Erasa said.


	34. Junior Division Round Three

"There are only four contestants left," the announcer said. "One of them will be crowned as the best martial artist under age eighteen! But who will it be?

"First is Gohan Son, the runner-up in the last tournament. Gohan is the son of a previous world martial arts champion, so everyone expects great things from him. In all his fights so far, he has won swiftly and decisively.

"Second is Dende, a boy who has covered himself with green face paint for unknown reasons. Dende does not appear to be the most powerful fighter around, but his high stamina has led him to victory so far. Whenever he gets injured, he seems to rebound almost instantly, as if he had never been hit in the first place!

"Third is Shredder, a mysterious competitor who hides his identity behind a cloak. He just defeated Videl Satan, the last tournament's champion, in a long and bloody battle. Can he keep fighting at this point, or is he worn out?

"Finally, we have the favored contestant, Erasa San. Erasa is a well-known teenage superhero, gifted with super-strength and the power of flight! She has never lost a fight in her entire career, not even when fighting criminals with guns! Erasa doesn't plan on starting her losing streak today!

"So those are the four contestants: Gohan, Dende, Shredder and Erasa. In just five minutes, we will begin the third round with a fight between Dende and Erasa. Then, Shredder and Gohan will battle to see who makes it to the finals. These will be two fights you don't want to miss!"

* * *

><p>"There's something you should know," Videl told Gohan. "About that Shredder guy, I mean."<p>

"There's no need to worry," Gohan said, trying to sound manly and impressive. "I'll defeat him for you."

"I can fight my own battles, thank you very much," Videl said.

"No you can't," Gohan said.

"WHAT?" Videl shouted.

"I mean, you tried fighting him, and he almost killed you," Gohan said. "Now, it's time for me to defend your honor."

"Defend my _honor?_" Videl asked. "What, you think you need to _protect _me, just because you're a guy?"

"Well...yeah, I need to protect you," Gohan said. "I need to protect everyone. Shredder could be a real threat, if it turns out he's an enemy."

_"If?"_ Videl asked.

"Yeah, I tried sensing his power level," Gohan said. "He's not using much energy, but it's obvious he's got a much larger power level than a human like you."

Videl started taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "You...you're saying I'm a weak little human, who needs a big strong man like you to protect me," she said.

"I wouldn't put it that way, but kind of," Gohan said. "That's why I'm going to defeat Shredder for you!"

"You know what? Forget it," Videl said, standing up and leaving. "Find someone else to talk to. I'm out of here."

"Huh? Wait!" Gohan said. "Videl? ...Was it something I said?"

Gohan frowned. He thought that defeating Shredder would impress Videl, but she seemed kind of...angry. He spent a moment, trying to figure out why.

"She must be upset because she's not in the tournament anymore," Gohan decided. "She was probably hoping to get to the finals like last time."

* * *

><p>Dende wasn't sure what to do now. His plan had been to defeat Erasa in the final round of the Junior Division. He never once thought that he might face off against her in the semifinals.<p>

_Maybe the plan will still work,_ Dende thought. _I can still get her attention by beating her here._

But Dende still couldn't shake off his last-minute doubts that his plan to defeat Erasa was really stupid. (And in fact, it was.)

"You ready, Green Guy?" Erasa asked.

"Dende," Dende said quietly. "And I'm not sure I can do this."

"Aw, don't be scared!" Erasa said, slapping Dende on the back. "You shouldn't be worried, just because I'm way stronger than you will ever be!"

"I...I..." Dende said.

"It's Dende VS Erasa!" the announcer said into his microphone. "Who will win? Who will lose?"

"I'm gonna win," Erasa said.

"No, I am," Dende said, trying to build up his confidence. "After all, I know your weakness."

"My weakness?" Erasa asked.

"Fighters...FIGHT!" the announcer said.

Dende got into a fighting position, while Erasa got out of hers.

"Hold on a sec, Green Guy," Erasa said. "What do you mean 'my weakness'?"

"Dende!" Dende said.

"Whatever," Erasa said. "I don't _have_ any weaknesses! I'm a superhero!"

"You've got lots of weaknesses!" Dende said. "You don't know how to keep your mouth shut, and you're always butting into other people's business!"

"...You've been talking to Videl, haven't you?" Erasa asked. "That sounds like something she'd say."

"But your biggest weakness is the fact that whenever anything romantic comes up, you turn into a blithering idiot!" Dende said. "That's why you have fifty boyfriends! That's why you keep interfering with Gohan and Videl! And _that's _why I will defeat you!"

"I..." Erasa said, trying to think of a good response. Dende had a good point about her being weird when it came to romance.

"HIT IT!" Dende yelled.

Low, soft music started playing from the speakers in the arena. Dende stole the microphone from the announcer and began to sing.

_Oh, Erasa San,  
>I'm the man<br>For you—ooo-ooo-ooo_

_Erasa,  
>Your face-a<br>Is beautiful..._

From the ringside area, Gohan and Chi-Chi were watching the match together. Videl was there, too, but she still wasn't talking to Gohan.

"What the heck is he _doing?_" Chi-Chi asked.

"Love is her only weakness," Gohan said. "So he's taking advantage of it by doing the most romantic thing possible: declaring his love for her in front of a large, worldwide audience."

_I can carry our wedding rings on my antenna.  
>No other guy's gonna treat you better.<br>You're from Earth, and I'm from Planet Namek.  
>Sometimes I like to sleep inside a hammock.<em>

"Um...this is kind of weird," Erasa said.

"But sexy, right?" Dende asked, winking at her. He then performed the multiform technique, so there were four Dendes, singing in harmony.

_Oooo, oooo, ooooo,  
>Let me be your green-skinned boyfriend!<br>My love for you will never end!_

_Oooo, oooo, oooo,  
>Our life together, I've been plannin'...<br>Like a...SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!_

Suddenly, all four Dendes used the Special Beam Cannon attack on Erasa. Dende had been charging the attack the whole time, while using five minutes of singing as a distraction. Erasa crumpled to the ground, after being hit by the attack from four different directions.

"Perfect!" Dende said. "Announcer dude, start the count!"

"One! Two! Three!" the announcer said. By the time he reached seven, Erasa had stood back up.

"You're gonna get it now!" Erasa shouted. "That attack was sneaky, uncalled for, and your singing was totally off key!"

"Gah!" Dende shouted. He quickly performed the multiform technique again, splitting up into four Dendes.

Erasa clenched her fists, getting ready to fight four opponents at once.

"Catch me if you can!" the Dendes said. "If you can figure out which one is the real me, that is!" Then, all four Dendes flew away from the stadium at top speed, each one going in a different direction.

"He's running away?" Chi-Chi asked.

"That's one of his desperation moves," Gohan says. "Dende's been winning so far, right?"

"No," Chi-Chi said. "He hit Erasa once, then ran away. What a wimp! You clearly didn't train him hard enough!"

"Hey, this strategy was his idea, not mine," Gohan said. "Once the ten minute time limit runs out, the judges pick a winner. They'll have to pick Dende, because he's the only one who hit his opponent."

"That still sounds like a dumb idea to me," Chi-Chi said. "Almost as dumb as the singing attack."

Gohan shrugged. "It's not like we had a lot of options," he said. "Dende couldn't win the fight based on speed, skill or strength, so he had to use trickery. Right, Videl?"

"I'm still not talking to you," Videl said.

"WHAT?" Chi-Chi asked. "You two broke up already?"

"We broke up?" Gohan asked. _"Why? _I know you were kind of mad earlier, but I didn't think you were _that _mad!"

"I didn't finish filling out your paperwork!" Chi-Chi complained. "You can't break up before I officially approve of you two being together!"

Videl sighed. Gohan and his mom were almost as crazy as Videl's dad, sometimes.

"I'm not breaking up with you," Videl said. "I'm just mad because you were being insensitive about my match with Shredder."

"Aw, I'm sorry," Gohan said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. If it makes you feel better, I don't care that you're a loser."

"Yeah, at least you're not a loser and a phony, like your father!" Chi-Chi said.

"Well, technically, she is," Gohan said. "Everyone thinks you won the Junior Division Tournament last time, when you really didn't."

"Being a fake must run in the family!" Chi-Chi said.

"...And I'm not talking to you again," Videl said, slumping down in her seat.

Chi-Chi made a note of this, on her papers which listed the ideal qualities for Gohan's girlfriend. Videl failed reason #31 (ability to take a joke) and #72 (forgives easily, instead of holding grudges), but she passed reason #3 (strong, independent woman) and reason #44 (holds her ground in an argument, instead of giving in quickly).

"Darn," Chi-Chi said. "There's no clear outcome yet. I'd better get these results analyzed."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the fight between Dende and Erasa was still going on. Not to say that it was very interesting, because both fighters had left the stadium.<p>

"Half a minute left," the announcer said. "Neither fighter is nowhere in sight. Remember, if we run out of time, the judges pick a winner, and—"

"I'm here!" Erasa shouted. She threw the four Dendes on the floor of the arena, all of them looking rather beat up.

"Sorry, it took me a while to hunt them all down!" Erasa said.

"And it looks like the winner is ERASA!" the announcer said. "How did you catch them all in time?"

"I'm a fast flier," Erasa said. "This guy might be good at running away, but he's no match for me!"

The crowd cheered. The four Dendes morphed back into one Dende, who moaned sadly.

_So much for my plan to get her attention,_ Dende thought. _I guess I'll just go home now. Alone._

Erasa walked over to Dende, and offered her hand to pull him up. "Hey, nice match, Dende," she said. "You gave it a good shot."

"She remembered my name!" Dende cheered.

* * *

><p>As the fight between Dende and Erasa ended, Gohan and Shredder came up into the arena together. Shredder seemed distressed, the instant he caught sight of Dende.<p>

"That...he looks like a Namekian!" Shredder said. "But that's impossible!"

"You know about Namekians?" Gohan asked.

"Erasa's supposed to be the only alien fighter on this planet!" Shredder said. That was why Shredder had threatened Erasa; he thought she was the only legitimate obstacle between him and total domination of Earth.

"How do you know all these things?" Gohan asked.

"How do _you_ know all these things?" Shredder demanded. "I thought you humans didn't even know aliens exist!"

"Um...Dende's my friend," Gohan said. Gohan wisely decided not to tell Shredder that there were definitely more than two aliens living on Earth.

"Fine," Shredder said. "Let's just get this over with. I have a blonde-haired [bad word] to kill in the final fight."

In the few moments before the fight started, Gohan thought it would be a good idea to contact Piccolo, the current Guardian of Earth.

_Hey, Piccolo? Are you watching me? _Gohan thought.

_Huh? Gohan? _Piccolo thought back. _You interrupted my meditation. What is it?_

_I think we have another alien to deal with..._

* * *

><p>Up in the stands, Chi-Chi made her way to Bulma. Bulma was with Vegeta and their children.<p>

"Hey, Bulma," Chi-Chi said. "I need your calculator thingy again."

"It's not a calculator thingy," Bulma said. "It's a program I designed myself, and—"

"Yeah, I need it," Chi-Chi said. "I want to check the progress so far."

Bulma sighed at the fact that she was a misunderstood scientific genius, then handed over her precious handheld computer. Chi-Chi ran it across YES/NO column on her sheets of paper.

"What are you calculating, anyway?" Bulma asked.

"I'm calculating Videl's score," Chi-Chi said. "Do you know Videl? Hercule's daughter?"

"The name sounds familiar," Bulma said. "Wasn't she one of the fighters in the last round?"

Vegeta scowled. "That's the girl Gohan is attracted to, isn't it?" he asked. "Figures that idiot would fall in love with a human. He needs to mate with Erasa, so we can continue the Saiyan bloodline!"

"Uh..." Bulma said. "Since when do _you_ know about Gohan's love life?"

"The Erasa girl mentioned it when I told her she needs to mate with Gohan," Vegeta said. "But then she ran away before I could finish explaining—"

"Oh my God," Bulma said. "You tried to control who her boyfriend would be? That's horrible!"

"Excuse me for not wanting the Saiyan race to die out!" Vegeta said.

"I agree," Chi-Chi said. "Gohan shouldn't be allowed to choose his own girlfriend. We have to decide for him."

"Uh huh," Bulma said. "And how would you have reacted, if the Ox King said that when you married Goku?"

"Dad wasn't very smart about those things," Chi-Chi said dismissively. "You should have _seen_ some of the clothes he dressed me up in, when I was younger. Anyway, _my_ method is scientific."

Chi-Chi finished running Bulma's device over the pieces of papers, and pressed a few buttons. "And...calculate," Chi-Chi said.

"Again, what are you calculating?" Bulma asked. "And what does it have to do with Gohan's girlfriend?"

"Simple," Chi-Chi said. "I made a list of all the different qualities that Gohan's girlfriend needs to have. And according to your device, Videl has...48% yes, 48% no, 4% unanswered. Darn it! It's dead even!"

"Can I see this list?" Bulma asked. "I want to see what kind of madness you're subjecting Gohan to."

"I still need it, but here's a blank copy," Chi-Chi said, holding one out. "I made sure to bring a couple spares."

Bulma took the list and looked it over. "Ability to fight a dinosaur? Good at cleaning dishes? Always does what the mother-in-law says?" Bulma read. "Chi-Chi! This isn't a list of good girlfriend qualities; it's a list of qualities _you_ want to see in a daughter-in-law!"

"Yes, but does that _really_ make a difference?" Chi-Chi asked. "I'm the one who—"

"Will you two shut up already?" Vegeta snapped. "I want to see the fight between Gohan and Shredder!"

"Oh, yeah, the fight!" Chi-Chi said. "GO GOHAN!"

* * *

><p>"The winner of this battle will fight Erasa in the semifinals," the announcer said. "Will it be Gohan, or will it be Shredder?"<p>

"You should probably give up now, unless you want to end up like my last opponent," Shredder said. "She won't be leaving the hospital anytime soon."

"That was my _girlfriend,_" Gohan said. "...Kind of."

"Oh, boo hoo," Shredder said. "Hey, if you're lucky, they'll put you in the hospital bed right next to her."

Gohan charged at Shredder, who bent down and punched Gohan in the stomach. He then hit Gohan over the head with a double-fisted attack.

"The same moves I used to beat your girlfriend," Shredder said. "You'll—_you're still standing?_"

Gohan got back up. "I'm not as easy to beat as you think," Gohan said.

"Hmmph," Shredder said. "Stronger than the average human. Still no match for someone like me."

Shredder and Gohan began to trade blows. Gohan purposely held back, because Shredder was clearly underestimating him. Of course, Shredder was holding back, too, so it was hard for Gohan to judge how effective his attacks were.

The turning point came when Gohan kicked Shredder up into the air, then jumped up to follow with a punch. Gohan remained in the air for a few seconds longer than he should have, and Shredder instantly realized that Gohan knew how to fly.

The battle went aerial after that, as Shredder led Gohan up a few feet in the air. This led to the battle becoming more intense, because Shredder and Gohan had more room to work with, and because Shredder worked harder to defeat Gohan. But every time Shredder increased his power, Gohan seemed able to counter.

_If this goes on much longer, I'll just have to go for broke and kill him,_ Shredder decided.

_I'll just lure him away from the arena, then smash him into the ground,_ Gohan thought. _He's probably forgotten all about the "landing outside the ring" rule._

Gohan slowly led Shredder to the left, over the grassy area. He was going to attack with a fresh burst of speed, when Piccolo contacted him.

_Gohan? Can you hear me?_ Piccolo's voice said, inside Gohan's head.

_I'm kind of busy here, Piccolo_, Gohan thought. _Can't this wait until after the fight?_

_No,_ Piccolo thought. _I've got bad news. From what I can tell, Shredder used the dragonballs._

"WHAT?" Gohan asked. Shredder took advantage of Gohan's momentary distraction to slam the half-Saiyan into the dirt.

"Grrrr," Gohan said, getting back up again and flying at Shredder. "No fair! That was my plan!"

"Gohan lands outside of the ring!" the announcer said. "Shredder wins!"

"Took long enough," Shredder said, lowering himself back onto the ground.

Gohan narrowed his eyes. He wasn't even close to being defeated—he hadn't even gone Super Saiyan yet—but it would have been very rude for Gohan to have continued the fight. Besides, it was still possible that Shredder _wasn't _an evil alien bent on world destruction.

Shredder seemed to know what Gohan was thinking. "You can still try to attack me, if you want," he taunted. "It won't end well for you."

"No," Gohan said, rubbing some dirt off of his shirt. "You won fair and square. Handshake?"

"You're the best challenge I've had all day," Shredder said, extending his arm towards Gohan.

Gohan grabbed Shredder's hand, then quickly flipped him around and ripped off Shredder's hood. The audience gasped as they caught sight of Shredder's real face. It was green, and it had antenna.

Shredder was a Namekian.


	35. The Junior Division Finals

Gohan lost the Junior Division Semifinal match against Shredder, but he had at least managed to unmask the mysterious foe. Shredder was, in fact, a Namekian. This caused all of our heroes to turn on Dende.

"He looks just like you, Green Guy!" Erasa said.

"He does not," Dende said. "We look totally different!"

"You look the same to me," Videl said.

"I should have known," Gohan said. "Every Namekian has an evil twin. Kami had King Piccolo. Guru had Lord Slug. And it seems that Dende has Shredder."

"I don't have an evil twin!" Dende said. "Isn't anyone listening to me? Shredder and I look nothing alike!"

"You look _exactly_ alike!" Erasa said. "You're both green and...well, you're both green. Case closed."

"Augh!" Dende cried, throwing his hands up in the air, and waving them around like he cared deeply.

"That settles it," Gohan said. "Erasa, you're going to have to be really careful in this fight. If Shredder is an evil villain—which is kind of a given at this point—he's going to try to kill you."

"Don't worry!" Erasa said. "I'm a superhero, remember? I fight bad guys all the time!"

"How often do you fight aliens?" Videl asked.

"Uh...never," Erasa said.

"You've been keeping up with your energy training, right?" Gohan asked.

"Uh...not really," Erasa said. "I kinda...forgot most of those energy attacks you showed me, 'cause I never need to use them."

"We're doomed," Gohan said.

"Hey, I beat Majin Buu!" Erasa said. "I can beat this Shredder jerk, too!"

"We need a back-up plan," Gohan said. "Maybe Vegeta can help fight Shredder."

"I can try to figure out what he used the dragonballs for," Dende said.

"No, we need you here," Videl said. "He's _your_ twin, so you should know his weaknesses."

_"He's not my twin!"_ Dende protested.

"Oh, hey!" Erasa said, snapping her fingers. "That's it! I know how to defeat Shredder!"

"How?" everyone asked.

"Duh, I'm not telling!" Erasa said. "That'd spoil the surprise!"

"Erasa!" everyone shouted. But try as they might, our heroes couldn't get Erasa to reveal her so-called "brilliant plan".

"If Shredder overhears it, it won't work," Erasa said. "You'll just have to trust me."

Soon after that, an angry housewife parted the stands at the arena, as she stormed her way down to the ground level. This housewife, of course, was Chi-Chi, and she was unhappy to see Gohan's defeat at the hands of Shredder.

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi yelled. "How could you _lose?_ You're stronger than that Green Freak!"

"Yeah, Gohan," Videl said. "What's it like to be a loser?"

"I'm not a lose—oh," Gohan said.

Videl grinned vindictively. "What happened to your promise to protect me, Mr. I'm So Big And Strong?"

"I'm sorry," Gohan said. "I didn't mean to lose. He just got the better of me for a moment there. I apologize for disappointing you."

"Apology accepted," Chi-Chi said. "After all, fighting isn't important."

"Apology not accepted," Videl said. "You still don't get why I'm mad, do you?"

"Uh...not really," Gohan said. He wasn't sure why Videl got so mad earlier, but it didn't bother him very much. After all, this was his first face-to-face meeting with Videl in years. It'd be surprising if he _could_ understand her completely.

"Oooo," Erasa winced. "That's a relationship no-no. She's mad because—"

"Stuff it, Erasa," Videl said. She flicked her head to the left, flipping her braid over her shoulder, an action which Gohan found oddly adorable. "Well, Gohan, it seems you don't know me as well as I thought you did."

"I guess not," Gohan said, matter-of-factly. "But then again, you don't seem to understand why I'm upset, either. So...that makes us even?"

"You're not upset," Videl said. "You're standing here, calm as can be."

"No," Gohan said. "I'm upset because...look, if it wasn't for Dende's healing powers, you would be in the hospital right now. You'd be either dying or dead, and I...I can't help but feel it's my fault."

Videl glare softened. "It's...not really your fault I got hurt," she said. "This is a martial arts tournament, after all."

"I know that, but..." Gohan said. "I wasn't able to stop the maniac who attacked you, for crying out loud! Now he's going to get away with almost killing you! It's not right!"

"In other words," Erasa interjected. "Gohan's saying that he was super sad when you got hurt, because he loves you very much. This is the part where the two of you kiss and make out."

"Don't you mean 'kiss and make up'?" Videl asked.

"Nope," Erasa said, smiling. She gave a saucy wink to Videl.

"Ugh," Videl said. "Look, Gohan, I...I appreciate your concern, but I don't want you to fight my battles for me. I'm not a weakling."

"I know you're not," Gohan said. "You're the strongest girl on the planet—well, the strongest _human_ girl, anyway—"

"I could kick her butt," Chi-Chi muttered.

"—But Shredder isn't human," Gohan said. "That's why he's too tough for you to beat."

Videl could tell Gohan wasn't trying to be mean, and he _did_ have a point, but she still wasn't happy about it.

"Hmmph," Videl said. "I have enough problems with my dad being super protective of me. The last thing I need is an overprotective boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Erasa asked. "Gohan's your boyfriend?"

"Not if he keeps acting like this," Videl said.

"Actually, he's _never_ going to be your boyfriend," Chi-Chi said, proudly flourishing her papers in front of Videl. "Because _you_ just failed the last four questions."

"What?" Videl asked.

"Mom!" Gohan said. "We're kind of in the middle of important discussion here..."

"It doesn't matter," Chi-Chi said. "This conversation has given me enough information to finish my assessment of Videl. She has only 49% of the ideal qualities in a girlfriend."

"You can't be serious!" Gohan said. "You figured out the percentage?"

"Of course I'm serious," Chi-Chi said. "Her bad qualities outweigh her good qualities, by two percent. Or in other words...you can't date him! _Stay away from my son!_"

"You're making this up," Videl accused. "You don't like me because of my dad."

"Dorkule, the world's greatest phony, has nothing to do with this," Chi-Chi said. "I don't like _you_ because you're bossy, rude, and selfish. I am not going to allow you to ruin my son's life!"

"I don't think I could ruin it any more than _you_ have!" Videl said. "You keep him locked up in his house all the time! It's a wonder he even knows how to talk to people!"

"Oh..." Gohan whined. "This is bad...this is _really_ bad..."

Dende patted Gohan on the back. "Don't worry, bro," he said. "Maybe there's another girl out there for you."

"There's no other girl who knows about my secrets, besides Erasa," Gohan said.

"_You stay away from my Erasa!_" Dende snapped.

"I'm not your girlfriend!" Erasa snapped at Dende. "I don't even really _like_ you that much, Green Guy!"

"You almost married me!" Dende said. "You just don't remember it because Shenron erased your memory!"

Meanwhile, Videl and Chi-Chi were also fighting. Chi-Chi was calling Videl a wannabe tough girl, while Videl was calling Chi-Chi a wrinkly old bat. The arguing between our various heroes didn't stop until an unexpected blue-haired heroine appeared on the scene.

"Woah, woah, stop!" Bulma yelled. "Everyone chill out!"

Amazingly, they did.

"That's better," Bulma said. "Chi-Chi, before you harass that poor girl with your stupid list—"

"Too late," Videl muttered.

"—I decided to do a little investigation, to prove that's a bad idea to judge your son's girlfriends, based off a list," Bulma said. "Do you know how _I_ rated on your list?"

"Hmmm..." Chi-Chi said. "Well, you're a good person, so I'd say...70%?"

"Wrong!" Bulma said. "According to your list, I am only 30% likely to be a good girlfriend. And Gohan here is only 42% likely to be a good boyfriend."

"Lies!" Chi-Chi said. "My Gohan is a good boy!"

"I'm not finished," Bulma said. "According to my calculations, you, Mrs. Chi-Chi Son, only got...two percent."

"TWO?" Chi-Chi hollered.

"Sounds about right to me," Videl said.

"You have _no_ chance of being a good girlfriend!" Bulma said. "So _now_ do you see how ridiculous this is?"

"I...I...there must be some mistake!" Chi-Chi said, pouring over the list. "I was a great wife to Goku, and...and...I hate you, Bulma!"

Chi-Chi looked at the faces of her companions. Bulma looked amused. Videl looked smug. Gohan looked worried.

"FINE!" Chi-Chi said, throwing the pieces of paper into the air. "Forget what your loving mother says, Gohan! Just ignore me, and break my heart! Boo hoo hoo!"

"Mom, don't cry!" Gohan said.

"I lost my only son, to the spawn of Satan!" Chi-Chi cried. "My life is ruined now! Boo hoo hoo!"

"There, there," Bulma said, patting Chi-Chi on the back. "Gohan had to grow up sometime."

Bulma led the crying Chi-Chi away from Gohan and the other teenagers. While doing this, Bulma turned her head back at Gohan and winked, letting him know that she deliberately sabotaged Chi-Chi's test results.

"...That was weird," Dende commented.

"Yeah," Erasa said.

"So, um...we were fighting?" Videl said to Gohan.

"What if we compromise?" Gohan said. "I'll only get protective of you, if aliens are involved."

"And if it's a normal human guy, I'll kick his butt for looking at me funny," Videl said. "Deal."

The two friends shook hands and left together.

* * *

><p>"Time for the final round of the Junior Division Champships!" the announcer cried. "We have Erasa San VS Shredder!"<p>

Shredder and Erasa walked up into the arena. Shredder was no longer wearing his full-length cloak, complete with hood. Now that his identity as a Namekian had been revealed, there was no point in doing so. He lowered his hood to his shoulders and used his cloak as a cape, which sort of made him look like a bad Piccolo imitator.

Erasa, on the other hand, was wearing a green tube top and a short skirt. She looked like she was ready for a day at the beach, not a fight.

"Finally," Shredder said. "I've had to wait far too long for this."

"I've been looking forward to this match, too," Erasa said, smiling. "I haven't fought an alien in years. Beating you is going to be awesome!"

Shredder chuckled. He knew he couldn't lose; that was one of the perks of wishing for immortality on the dragonballs.

"The winner of this fight gets ten thousand dollars, and a chance to fight against last year's champion, Hercule!" the announcer said. "Fighters, get ready!"

Shredder got into a fighting position. Erasa posed for the cameras.

"Let the Junior Division Champion Match...BEGIN!" screamed the announcer.

Shredder ran towards Erasa, then halted about a foot away from her. She was _still_ posing for the cameras.

"Aren't you going to fight?" Shredder asked.

Erasa winked at Shredder. "Hey, good-looking," she said. "How's it going?"

"What?" Shredder asked.

"Yeah, you're sexy, aren't you?" Erasa said. "I bet you want to kiss me, don't you?"

"NO!" Shredder said.

"Stop pretending," Erasa said. "You're Dende's twin, and he's madly in love with me, so you must be too! Tell you what, if you give up the match, I'll go out with you."

"..." Shredder said. Then he slapped Erasa directly into one of the pillars standing in the four corners of the arena. The pillar went crashing to the ground, on top of Erasa.

"And Shredder hits Erasa with a powerful slap!" the announcer said. "Wow, I've never seen someone so strong that they could send another person flying, with just a slap!"

"Well, so much for my plan to seduce him," Erasa said, getting up from the rubble and rubbing her head. "Time for Plan B: Kick his butt!"

Erasa flew at Shredder—literally—and started attacking him. She punched him on the side of the head, but he recovered almost instantly and ducked down to drive his fist into her stomach. Erasa turned her body to block his attack, and in the same motion, she kicked him in the side. He retaliated with an uppercut, and she angrily grabbed his neck and head-butted him.

"Ow!" Erasa said, stepping back. Head-butting someone with antenna was unexpectedly painful.

The fight continued for a minute or so, with Erasa using a lot of effort in the fighting, while Shredder still held back. Being a Super Saiyan did not give Erasa an automatic victory, mostly because she was too used to fighting human criminals that were stopped with a few flashy moves. Erasa hadn't fought for real in years.

"Your speed and strength are impressive," Shredder said. "At least five times greater than anyone else I've fought so far."

"Thanks!" Erasa said. "I work out."

"But your skills leave a lot to be desired," Shredder said.

"Ha, this battle is just getting started," Erasa said. She flew up into the air and charged up a small energy ball. She threw it at Shredder, and even though it curved at an odd angle, Shredder was able to hold out his hand and effortlessly catch the energy ball.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked.

_He didn't even turn his head to look at the energy ball before catching it,_ Erasa realized. _What a s__how off!_

Shredder added his own energy to the energy ball in his hand, and it swelled from the size of a baseball to the size of a basketball.

"Here, catch," Shredder said, throwing it at Erasa with the flick of a wrist.

"Oh, [bad word]," Erasa said. She flew to the left, quickly. She avoided the energy ball, but she was completely unprepared when Shredder suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind her. Like a football player making a flying tackle, he smashed Erasa into the top of one of the four towers in the ring corners.

Erasa responded by grabbing one of Shredder's antenna and ripping it off. Shredder howled in pain, while Erasa swung him around and threw him down at the ground. She expected that he would smash into the pillar, but instead, he smashed straight through the pillar as he fell.

Shredder got up from the rubble, looking furious. He howled in fury, then flew at Erasa. Erasa tried to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough. Shredder hit her three times, then sent her smashing into the ground.

Erasa got back up and flew towards Shredder, only to be quickly hit and sent smashing to the ground again. A third attempt yielded similar results.

Shredder landed back on the ground, in the middle of the arena. "You can't move any faster than that, can you?" he asked.

"Rrrrr," Erasa said. She sprinted towards Shredder as fast as she could, but he disappeared four milliseconds before her fist would have hit his. Surprised, and unable to stop because she was running so fast, Erasa flailed her limbs around until she ran straight into one of the two remaining pillars. The impact caused the pillar to fall over slowly, landing on the grassy area.

"Why do they keep destroying the pillars?" the announcer wondered. "That makes three of the four pillars destroyed!"

Erasa turned on Shredder, panting heavily. She didn't feel like running for a little bit, so she charged up an energy ball and threw it at Shredder. Then she threw another and another, and she kept throwing the attacks, rapid fire, until she lost count at forty. Erasa expected to see Shredder's body, crumpled on the ground, but instead, she saw nothing at all.

Shredder tapped her on the shoulder. "You have bad aim, you know that?"

"AUGH!" Erasa shouted. She tried smashing an energy ball into Shredder's head at point blank range, but he easily dodged it and tossed her towards the other side of the arena.

"_This_ is the best Earth has to offer?" Shredder asked. "I have no idea why I was so worried!"

Erasa wiped sweat and debris from her forehead, as she stood back up. She could tell that she was losing this battle, but she had one more trick up her sleeve. It was her last minute desperation move, the technique that she used to defeat Majin Buu.

She was going to become a Super Saiyan Three.

_Please, let this work..._ Erasa thought.

Erasa stood up straight, then clenched her fists and lifted them up to shoulder height. Then she started screaming. "AAAAAAARRR! RAAAAAAA! AAAARRRRRAAAA!"

* * *

><p>Up in the stands, Vegeta shook his head at the pathetic display Erasa was putting on. A <em>real<em> Saiyan would have won by now.

"What is she doing?" Vegeta scoffed.

"Looks like she's powering up," Bulma said.

"She's not powering up," Vegeta said. "She's standing in place and screaming loudly."

"Isn't that all there is to powering up?" Bulma asked.

"NO!" Vegeta said.

"Could have fooled me," Bulma said.

Vegeta started to give Bulma a lecture on how powering up was a complicated technique that only the greatest of fighters could use. Bulma ignored him and played with her children.

* * *

><p>"AAAAAAAAARR!" Erasa screamed.<p>

Shredder cupped his hand over Erasa's mouth. "Stop being so loud!" he hissed. "I can hear you just fine, without you screaming!"

Erasa put her hand up and flicked Shredder's antenna.

"Garh, that's not a toy!" Shredder shouted. He grabbed a handful of Erasa's hair and ripped it off of her head. Erasa screamed louder, so Shredder hit her in the face at full strength, breaking her nose. He threw her aside, out of the ring, then walked over the announcer.

"Shredder wins!" the announcer cried. "In a surprise upset, it seems that Shredder managed to throw Erasa outside of the ring, and—hey!"

Shredder grabbed the microphone away from the announcer.

"Attention, citizens of Earth," Shredder said calmly and clearly. "My name is Shredder, and I am the new ruler of your planet."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I came up with an entire backstory for Shredder, but I don't think there will be a way to work it into this story. Like some DBZ villains, Shredder seems to care more about fighting than talking.

As for the name "Shredder", one of my original ideas was to have Dende and Sharpener perform the Fusion Technique. Sharpener + Dende = Shredder, kind of. I changed the name a bit to make it sound more ominous and to make it less obvious that the villain was a fused character. Later on, I scrapped the idea, but I kept the name.


	36. The End

**Author's Note: **Since this is the end of the story, I decided to make this a double-length chapter, rather than split it up into two chapters. I hope you enjoy it, everyone!

* * *

><p>A sense of dread fell over the crowd as the evil and immortal Namekian warrior, Shredder, began speaking.<p>

"As you see, I have just defeated your planet's strongest warrior," Shredder said. "Anyone who tries to stand up against me will suffer a similar fate."

Shredder gestured towards Erasa. She was face down in the grass, crying and howling as blood leaked from her face.

Shredder smirked. Erasa was the only fighter he had been worried about, because she was the only alien he knew of. Her reputation as a superhero, it seemed, was quite unfounded.

"You may now refer to me as King Shredder," Shredder said. "Of course, every king needs a palace, so I will be taking the one belonging to your current leader. Given that you humans have poor taste, I will no doubt need to redecorate."

The announcer wearily stood up and approached this villain. "Um...listen, Shredder..."

"King Shredder," Shredder corrected.

"Right, King Shredder," the announcer said. "There seems to be a misunderstanding here. Just because you won the World Martial Arts Tournament—Junior Division—it doesn't automatically make you the ruler of the world. King Piccolo tried the same stunt at a previous tournament—you sort of look like him, by the way—but he was..."

Shredder charged up a small energy ball and threw it at the announcer's head. The announcer screamed and ducked.

"As I was saying, I am now the ruler of this pitiful planet," Shredder said. "And to be honest, you should be grateful. You humans have done a horrible job with your planet so far. It's time for an alien to take control."

* * *

><p>Hercule was in his private quarters, getting ready for his match against the winner of the Junior Division Champion. Most fighters prepare for their matches by stretching or going over techniques. Hercule, on the other hand, was standing in his underwear, in front of a full length mirror.<p>

"Oh, yeah!" Hercule said, flexing his muscles. "Who's the man? I'm the man! I am SEXY! S-E-X-E!"

"Uh, Hercule?" a man's voice asked.

Hercule shrieked like a cat and dove behind a couch, hiding.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Hercule shouted at the monk who had entered the room. "Don't you know that you should knock before entering a room?"

"My apologies, sir," the timid monk said. "I'm just here to tell you that there's...a problem with the Junior Division Champion."

"Yeah?" Hercule asked. He had no idea who was the champion was; he stopped paying attention to the Junior Division Tournament, once Videl was eliminated.

"He's gone crazy and declared himself the King of Earth," the monk said. "And since you're scheduled to fight him anyway..."

"You want me to beat some sense into this kid," Hercule said. "Yeah, I getcha. I've beaten the crud out of _tons_ of teenage boys who don't have their heads on straight. One more can't hurt."

Hercule was referring to certain teenagers who he had to scare away from Videl. The last time he had "protected" Videl from teenage boys was at a football game, four months earlier.

* * *

><p><em>Four Months Ago<em>

Videl and Hercule found their seats in the tenth row of the stands, ready to root for the Orange Star High football team. Videl got some popcorn from her backpack, while Hercule looked around.

"Hey, I think that one kid is looking at us," Hercule said, nudging Videl.

"He's probably staring at you, because you're famous," Videl said. "Want some popcorn?"

"HEY!" Hercule shouted. "Hey, punk! Stop looking at my daughter, you pervert!"

"Dad!" Videl cried.

"I will pound you into a little ball and use you to play ping pong!" Hercule said, shaking his fist.

The boy in question left as quickly as possible. Hercule leaned back in his seat, when he noticed something disturbing.

"Now there are even _more_ boys starting at you!" he said.

"Dad, they're staring at _you_, because you just threatened a little kid!" Videl exclaimed.

Hercule grabbed the teenager next him. "What are YOU looking at, punk?"

"N-n-n-nothing," the boy said.

"Good! Make sure it stays that way!" Hercule said. He threatened all the other boys nearby, while Videl tried to hide behind her backpack. When this was going on, a handsome boy came up to Videl and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Uh, I think you're in my seat," the boy said.

_"Don't talk to my daughter!"_ Hercule shouted. He grabbed the boy and pushed him backwards. The boy fell over the seat and landed in a heap.

"Dad, you're out of control!" Videl said.

"Nonsense, honey, I'm just making sure no one disturbs you," Hercule said. "You never know when and where boys are going to strike. Why, one time, I—who is that guy, waving at you?"

"It's the team mascot," Videl said, sighing. There was someone wearing a mascot costume, who was waving at everyone in the stands.

"AAARRR!" Hercule shouted, running onto the field and tackling the mascot. "LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE!"

Hercule and Videl ended up getting a lifetime ban from attending football games at Orange Star High that day.

* * *

><p>As Hercule was lost in pointless memories, our three teenage heroes ran to the side of the wounded Erasa.<p>

"Erasa!" Gohan said.

"No!" Videl said.

"I'll help you!" Dende said. "My healing powers never fail!"

Erasa kept crying. She had her face firmly planted on the ground.

"Um...you have to get up before I can heal you," Dende said.

Erasa shook her head. "Nooooo..." she said. "I'm...owwwww...I don't want anyone to see me..."

"It can't be that bad," Videl said.

"I don't know," Gohan said. "She's bleeding pretty badly."

"Come on, the sooner you get up, the sooner I'll heal you," Dende said.

"Okay..." Erasa said weakly. She slowly raised her body into a sitting position, revealing her bloody and smashed-in face. Everyone winced at the sight.

Dende brought his hands to Erasa's face, then used his healing powers on her. The blood disappeared, and her nose reappeared.

"Hey, it worked!" Erasa said, as the pain disappeared.

"Of course it did," Dende said.

Erasa stood up and flexed her muscles. "Wow, I feel stronger than before! Thanks, Green Guy!"

Erasa gave Dende a kiss on the cheek, and the Namekian fell over in shock.

"So, I guess this means Shredder won the fight," Erasa said.

"Yeah, he's the Junior Division Champion now," Videl said. "And I think he just declared himself the King of Earth."

"Well, I don't like the way my fight with him ended," Gohan said. "If he tries to start trouble, I'll continue our fight."

"Any reason you're not continuing it now?" Videl asked. "This guy is clearly evil."

"Hey, he might not be evil," Gohan said. "So far, he hasn't hurt anyone besides the people he was fighting in the tournament. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Hmmph," Videl said. Apparently, Gohan had a habit of trying to see the best in other people. "What about the fact that he thinks he's conquered the planet?"

"And he beat me up!" Erasa said. "That makes him evil for sure! And since you're the only strong guy here who knows about Namerians, that means _you_ have to kill him."

"It's Namekian, not Namerian, but you're probably right," Gohan said. "Still, I don't want to fight if I don't have to."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the arena, Shredder was continuing his inaugural speech as the new King of Earth. He was currently outlining his major plans for the planet.<p>

"There will be no more nonsense about separate countries," Shredder said. "From now on, there is only _one_ government on the planet: mine. Anyone who disagrees will be swiftly defeated."

"Hey!" a booming voice said.

Shredder turned to see Hercule in full fighting gear, standing heroically.

"Who are you?" Shredder asked.

"My name is Hercule, and I'm the World Champion of Martial Arts!" Hercule said. "And it's time for us to BATTLE!"

"Goodness, I didn't expect a rebellion so soon," Shredder said. "Well, you'll make a good example of what happens when you stand up to me."

"And _you'll_ make a good example of what happens when you mess with the Champ!" Hercule said.

The crowd started cheering for Hercule, and the announcer spoke excitedly into his microphone. "Hercule is here!" he said. "It's time for the Junior Division Champion to face off against last's tournament's champion! It's the battle of the champions!"

"Are you ready to lose?" Hercule taunted. "I've beaten green monsters like you before, and I'll do it again!"

"Picking your nose doesn't count as defeating green monsters," Shredder said.

"AUGHAAA!" Hercule said, falling over. He got back up quickly and tried to cover up his mistake by making some poses.

"Pathetic," Shredder said.

Hercule charged Shredder. Similar to what Shredder did with Sharpener, he just stretched his arm out and picked up Hercule. Then, he tossed Hercule aside, throwing Hercule directly into the one remaining tower in the arena. The tower fell on top of Hercule, breaking at least ten of Hercule's bones instantly.

* * *

><p>"Dad!" Videl cried.<p>

"Oh no!" Erasa said.

"And that's my cue," Gohan said, cracking his knuckles. "Dende, you heal Hercule. I'll stop Shredder."

Gohan flew into the air, and he flew directly towards Shredder, stopping four feet away from the villain. Gohan had a very intense look on his face.

"This ends here," Gohan said.

"You again!" Shredder said. "I beat you already. Go back to where you came from."

"You won on a technicality," Gohan said. "It's time for a _real_ fight."

"Does everyone on this planet have a death wish?" Shredder wondered. "Fine."

Shredder disappeared and reappeared, right in front of Gohan. He tried to drive his fist into Gohan's stomach, but Gohan dodged and hit him in the head.

"Lucky shot," Shredder spit. He drove his knee into Gohan's side, and Gohan retaliated by driving his elbow into Shredder's back, following the attack up with a punch to the neck.

The second fight between Gohan and Shredder was much better than the first one. This was mainly because Gohan stopped holding back, out of concern for his opponent's health and well-being. Gohan fought fast, and he fought hard. Shredder was surprised at how hard he had to work, in order to keep up with Gohan.

_How could a mere human be so strong?_ Shredder wondered, as he took another blow to the face. He grit his teeth in anger, then began a furious assault, performing fifteen punches in twelve seconds. Gohan was able to dodge all of them, then hit Shredder from behind, on the shoulders. Shredder fell to the ground.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you," Gohan said. "If you agree to go back to Namek peacefully, I'll stop."

"Are you...asking me to surrender?" Shredder asked.

"I'm not even using a tenth of my full power," Gohan said. "You're a good opponent, but there's no way you can win."

"Fine," Shredder said, getting up slowly. He held out his hand to Gohan. "Truce?"

Gohan smiled and grabbed Shredder's hand, shaking it. "Truce," he said.

That was when Shredder took advantage of his closeness to Gohan by conjuring up an energy ball and smashing it into the half-Saiyan's chest. Gohan was caught completely off guard.

"AUGH!" Gohan screamed.

Shredder followed up with an attack which was similar to the Special Beam Cannon. Gohan barely managed to dodge it in time.

"Fool!" Shredder said. "I'd rather die than lose to the likes of you! I will kill every Earthling, if I have to!"

"Grrrr..." Gohan growled, as he ripped off his charred shirt. "I didn't want to do this..."

"Do what—die?" Shredder asked. He powered up and continued with energy attacks, which were more deadly than his physical attacks. Gohan was forced back on the defensive, and his injuries were starting to hurt.

_If this continues, I'll have to go Super Saiyan to defeat him,_ Gohan thought. _Better finish this before I have to do that, though._

"One last chance," Gohan said. "Give up peacefully."

"You're a [bad word]," Shredder said.

"Fine," Gohan said. "You just signed your own death warrant."

Gohan then put his lips together and started whistling the _DragonBall Z_ theme song.

"What are—AAAAAA!" Shredder screamed, grabbing his ears in pain. Namekian ears are so sensitive to high-pitched sounds that they cannot handle whistling.

Gohan took a deep, grim breath, and while still whistling, he charged up an extra-strength mansenko and aimed it directly at Shredder's head. Shredder was too busy screaming to dodge, so the attack was a direct hit.

Shredder's head was blown clean off his shoulders. The head disappeared, and Shredder's decapitated corpse fell forward to the ground.

Gohan shook his head sadly. He didn't like killing Shredder in such a gruesome manner, but Piccolo always said that the only _sure_ way to kill a Namekian was to destroy its head.

"As long as my head is still intact, I can regenerate the rest of my body," Piccolo had told Gohan once.

Gohan wiped the thin layer of sweat off his forehead.

"HE DID IT!" the announcer shouted. "Gohan has killed Shredder!"

Gohan's three friends ran to the edge of the arena, closest to Gohan.

"You won!" Videl said.

"You're the greatest!" Erasa said.

"Did you have to whistle?" Dende complained, rubbing his ears.

Of course, the audience was cheering loudly for Gohan. This caused Gohan to be slightly confused. He thought the audience would disapprove of his violent defeat of Shredder.

"They—they're not mad that I'm a murderer?" Gohan wondered.

"Gohan, you're too hot for anyone to be mad at you," Erasa said, admiring the view of a topless Gohan. The fight made Gohan's muscles stand out more than they did normally. "I swear, if Videl breaks up with you, I am going to—"

"Keep your hands off my boyfriend," Videl said, glaring at Erasa.

"Oh, so it's official now?" Erasa asked. "Gohan's your boyfriend for sure?"

"...Maybe," Videl said.

"That's great!" Dende said, wrapping his arm around Erasa. "They shouldn't be the _only_ couple that leaves here today, you know!"

"Stop touching me, Greenie!" Erasa said, wriggling out of Dende's grasp.

Gohan laughed, relieved. The fight with Shredder had been tense for a while, but now it was finally over and...

Gohan froze as he felt a great power rising behind him. With a sense of dread, Gohan turned around to see Shredder's headless body, standing up straight. Shredder was powering up, and before long, his head regenerated.

"What the—?" Gohan asked.

"Kill me? KILL ME? _You can't kill me!_" Shredder yelled. _"I wished for immortality on the dragonballs! I can never be killed!_"

"D-dragonballs?" Gohan asked. "Immortal?"

"You, on the other hand, are DEAD!" Shredder said. "You are [bad word] DEAD, you hear me, [bad word]?"

Shredder flew at Gohan and smashed him ferociously, then shot a large energy blast at him. When the smoke cleared, Gohan was standing there, looking angry.

"Super Saiyan time," Gohan decided.

"I couldn't agree more," a voice said.

Vegeta, in his Super Saiyan form, landed down in the ring, between Gohan and Shredder. As you might expect, Vegeta looked cocky.

"Who the [bad word] are you?" Shredder asked.

"I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans and Slayer of Namekians," Vegeta said.

Shredder scowled. "...Vegeta," Shredder said. "I take it you're the same Vegeta who killed all those Namekians years ago?"

"The people in that pathetic village barely put up a fight," Vegeta said, baiting his opponent. "I did them a favor by killing them quickly."

"You killed them _all_," Shredder said. "Even after they gave you the dragonball, you still killed them! WHY?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Boredom, I guess," he said. "Why, did I kill one of your relatives? Boo hoo."

"I'll kill you, too!" Shredder promised. "Both of you! DEAD!"

"We'll see about that," Vegeta said. He turned his head to look behind him, at Gohan. "You! Step away. _I'll_ take this battle."

"But..." Gohan said.

Vegeta hit Gohan. "This is _my_ fight," Vegeta growled. "You just stay behind and try not to get hurt!"

"But—you—you can't win!" Gohan said.

"If I die, I imagine you'll be just like your worthless father and pull some miraculous victory out of nowhere," Vegeta said. "Now go away."

"Yes, leave," Shredder said. "I'll get back to killing you soon enough. I need to avenge some Namekians first."

Gohan decided to stop arguing, and he jumped out of the arena, landing next to his friends.

"Vegeta's either being his normal pig-headed self, or he's deliberately trying to buy us time," Gohan said. "Let's figure out a plan."

"I have an idea," Erasa said. "Why don't we run and hide, so the crazy aliens don't kill us?"

"Plan! Plan! We need a plan!" Gohan insisted. "How do we stop Shredder?"

"We can't kill him!" Dende said. "He's immortal!"

"Can't we trap him in another dimension he can't escape from?" Gohan said. "Something like The Dead Zone?"

"Tricks like that only work in movies, Gohan," Dende said. "They don't work in real life!"

"Well, we still need a plan!" Gohan said. "We can't let this immortal jerk take over the planet!"

"Excuse me, _how_ did Shredder become immortal again?" Videl asked.

"He used the dragonballs," Dende said. "And Piccolo said the dragonballs were just used last night! Now we know what they were used for."

"The dragonballs are those magic wish things, right?" Erasa asked. "Didn't we use them up when we wished away all of Majin Buu's destruction?"

"You can use the dragonballs more than once," Gohan said.

Erasa almost fell over. _"You can use them more than once?"_ she asked. "Wait, are saying you have access to unlimited wishing power—_and you never use it?_"

"They're not unlimited," Dende said. "Actually, they're _very_ limited. You have to wait an entire year in between every use of the dragonballs, so they can recharge."

"Yeah, that's the downside to using the dragonballs," Gohan said. "They take too long to recharge, and besides, finding them all takes forever."

"Let me get this straight," Videl said. "It takes a year for the wish balls to recharge."

Gohan nodded.

"Why don't you wish that they could recharge in only a week?" Videl asked.

Dende's jaw dropped. "Guh..."

Gohan hugged Videl. "You are the smartest, best girl ever," he said. "If Shredder doesn't kill us, I'm going to take you out on a date."

* * *

><p>Vegeta stood in place, impatiently tapping his foot as he stood over Shredder's decapitated corpse. After about thirty seconds, the body got up and started sparring with Vegeta. After another thirty seconds, Shredder regenerated his head.<p>

"Quit blowing off my head!" Shredder demanded.

"But it's so much fun," Vegeta grinned. "Besides, you don't need it for anything."

"Oh yeah?" Shredder asked. He stood in place, and his antennae stretched out, towards Vegeta. Vegeta took a step back in shock, while the antennae wrapped themselves around his body, many times over. Before long, Vegeta's entire body was covered with the antennae, making him look like an odd sort of mummy.

"What stupid trick is this?" Vegeta demanded, struggling to get loose. The antennae wrappings were surprisingly strong—either that, or they were just too tight for Vegeta to move around much.

"I call it the Antennae Attack," Shredder said. The villain closed his eyes and a third antenna sprouted from the middle of his forehead. This one was three times as thick as the other two antennae, and Vegeta watched as it grew and formed a noose.

"I sentence you to death by hanging!" Shredder said, as he grabbed the large antenna in his hand, then threw it over Vegeta's head like a cowboy lasso. The noose started tightening around Vegeta's neck, and the Saiyan Prince was lifted up off of the ground.

_I can't die in such a ridiculous fashion!_ Vegeta thought. Death by choking was considered a disgrace in Saiyan culture, and Planet Vegeta was once plagued by a Saiyan serial killer, who snuck into people's houses and used his tail to choke people to death while they were sleeping.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Shredder laughed as Vegeta started choking. The Saiyan Prince started powering up, then he flexed his mighty arms, breaking the antennae that were wrapped around his body. He grabbed the antenna around his neck and pulled as hard as he could, ripping it off of Shredder's forehead.

Shredder started cursing, and Vegeta flew up and out of the large pile of antennae. He charged up an energy attack and blew them to pieces.

"Disgusting things," Vegeta said.

Shredder regenerated the two antennae on his head—to normal length, this time—then adjusted them so they were in a comfortable position. "I suppose that was a foolish attack," Shredder said. "Antennae are too thin to be used as ropes."

Vegeta smirked. "If you have to resort to stupid tricks like that in order to win, this battle is already over," he said.

Shredder rubbed his chin. "On second thought, maybe it was a good attack. It could easily have killed you."

Shredder's body seemed to glow, and it took Vegeta a second to realize what was happening. Shredder was growing in size. Soon, he was ten times as tall as he normally was.

"Let's see how you handle it when my antennae are ten inches wide, not just one!" Shredder bellowed. His antennae stretched out, flying at Vegeta. Vegeta quickly started dodging, slicing the antennae off with energy attacks whenever he could.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Kame House, a very unique and not at all predictable scene was occurring.<p>

Master Roshi and friends were in the living room, sitting on the couch. They were all reading girly magazines and/or watching a girly TV show. Suddenly, the great martial arts expert dropped his magazine and stood up.

"Oh, my," Master Roshi said. "Did you feel that?"

"What is it, Master Roshi?" Turtle asked.

"[Insert ominous warning here]," Master Roshi said.

"Oh no!" Turtle said.

"Will...will everyone be okay?" Oolong asked.

"[Insert vague comment here]," Master Roshi said.

"This is bad," Turtle said.

"I'll say," Oolong said.

Master Roshi nodded dramatically, then he smiled. "At least [insert generic lewd comment here]!" he said.

Turtle and Oolong fell over, then they started scolding the old pervert.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Shredder collapsed on the ground, his body covered with bruises.<p>

"Pathetic," Vegeta said. "I expected more of a fight! You're only about as strong as those weak androids!"

"I...hate...Saiyans..." Shredder growled.

Vegeta shot a concentrated energy beam right into Shredder's heart. That _would_ have been a killing blow, except Shredder was immortal. In thirty seconds, the wound was healed automatically.

"You can't win this fight!" Shredder said. "With every attack, you lose more and more energy! Eventually, you'll collapse from exhaustion, while I will live forever!"

"That is a horrible battle strategy," Vegeta said. Secretly, Vegeta was upset that Shredder's battle strategy was working. By Vegeta's count, Shredder should have died five times already. Vegeta was starting to run out of ideas, for ways to kill Shredder.

That was when Gohan and crew landed in the arena. "Shredder, you're finished!" Gohan said heroically.

"Oh, great, the cavalry is here," Vegeta said. "Go interfere in someone else's business."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I've got something important," Gohan said, holding up a small sack. "Remember _these?_"

Gohan turned the sack upside-down, spilling seven dragonballs onto the ground.

The green villain turned pale. "But—that's impossible!" Shredder said. "I used your planet's dragonballs yesterday! It takes a full year for dragonballs to reappear!"

"Piccolo isn't the only one who can create a set of dragonballs," Dende said, confidently. "I made a set immediately after your fight here started."

"But you can't collect all seven dragonballs so quickly!" Shredder said. "I stole your dragon radar!"

"We all flew into the air and caught the dragonballs, before they flew off to all corners of the earth!" Dende bragged, trying to take credit for one of Videl's better ideas.

Turning to Vegeta, Gohan said, "You can keep Shredder busy for another minute or so, right?"

"Of course," Vegeta said.

Vegeta smashed Shredder to the ground, then planted his right foot firmly on Shredder's back, pinning him down. Meanwhile, Dende started saying the proper incantations.

"Eternal dragon, I summon you by your name!" Dende said. "SHENRON!"

The sky turned black, as Shenron appeared in the sky. Videl fell down in shock, while Erasa pretended to be undisturbed.

Not one for small talk, Shenron got straight to business. "You have only one wish," he said. "What is it?"

"We wish for three wishes!" Erasa said.

"Erasa!" Dende scolded. "Stop playing around!"

Shenron's eyes flashed. "Your wish is granted!" he said. "You now have three wishes. What is your first wish?"

Dende fell over.

"We wish that Shredder wasn't immortal anymore!" Erasa said confidently. "...We can do that, right?"

"Yes," Shenron said. The large dragon's eyes flashed. "Your wish is granted."

"NooooooOOOOOO!" Shredder yelled.

"Finish him now, Vegeta!" Gohan shouted.

"Gladly," Vegeta said. He charged up a powerful energy attack, then jumped up. Spinning forward, Vegeta threw the attack at Shredder's heart. The Namekian managed to dodge by half an inch, but it wasn't enough. The huge hole in Shredder's chest completely obliterated his heart along with injuring some other organs. Shredder died instantly.

"What is your second wish?" Shenron asked.

"We wish that, from now on, only good people can use the dragonballs!" Gohan said. "If someone is evil, they shouldn't be able to make wishes!"

"It...is...granted..." Shenron said, his eyes flashing. "What is your third wish?"

"Hey, nice idea!" Dende said.

"Thanks!" Gohan said. "It was Videl's. She's really smart."

"Of course," Videl said, pleased.

"Your third wish!" Shenron said. "What is your third wish?"

Silence met this sentence question.

"...I wasn't expecting a third wish," Gohan said.

"Maybe we can wish everyone forgets about what happened today?" Erasa said.

"No way!" Dende said. "We tried that at the last World Tournament, and it totally backfired!"

"I kind of _want_ to wish my dad wouldn't be so crazy, but that's a really selfish wish," Videl said.

Vegeta, on the other hand, did not have any moral problems with selfish wishes. "Make me immortal!" he said. "No, wish for the return of the Saiyans and Planet Vegeta!"

"I cannot," Shenron said.

"WHY NOT?" Vegeta screamed.

"Only good people can make wishes now," Shenron said.

Vegeta let out a string of curses which were so vile that no one questioned Shenron's claim that Vegeta didn't count as a good person.

"Make the wish for me!" Vegeta demanded of Dende.

"Uh, no," Dende said.

Vegeta grabbed Dende by the throat and gave him a threatening glare. _"Do it!" _he ordered.

"Fine!" Dende said. He stepped towards Shenron and held his hands up. "Shenron, I...I..._I wish Erasa's memories were back, so she could remember falling in love with me!_" Dende shouted.

"WHAT?" pretty much everyone shouted.

"Green Guy, you are a sick, perverted—" Erasa started to say.

Shenron's eyes flashed. "It...is...finished!" he said.

Erasa's eyes widened as memories were awakened inside her. The fight with Babidi...Majin Videl...Gohan turned into a statue...Erasa's near-marriage to Dende...

"...Dende?" Erasa asked.

"Erasa?" Dende asked.

"My love!" Erasa cried, hearts appearing in her eyes. She ran towards Dende, then picked him up in her arms and swung around in a circle. "I missed you!"

"I love you, too!" Dende said.

The two of them kissed passionately. Some of the people in the audience awwwed at the romantic reunion of the long-lost lovers.

"That's...so beautiful..." Shenron said, tears leaking out of his eyes. He pulled a handkerchief out of nowhere and dabbed the tears away. "I'm a sucker for a good romance story..."

After that, Shenron disappeared, the sky turned back to normal, and the seven dragonballs scattered.

"And the sky is back!" the announcer said. "Does this mean the delays are over? Can we move on to the adult division fights now?"

* * *

><p>Our heroes left the arena together, happy that the nightmare was finally over.<p>

"Thanks for fighting Shredder to give us more time," Gohan said to Vegeta. "It was a big help."

"Yeah, I didn't know you had so much confidence in us," Erasa said.

"Hmmmph," Vegeta said. "I wasn't trying to buy time for you to make a plan. I didn't _need_ your help in defeating that weakling."

Nobody was fooled by Vegeta's lie.

"It was a help, nonetheless," Gohan said. "Thank you."

"You can thank me by mating with Erasa," Vegeta said.

"W-W-WHAT?" Videl asked.

"E-E-Erasa?" Gohan asked.

"...He wants us to continue the Saiyan bloodline by having kids together," Erasa said.

"You _knew_ about this?" Videl asked.

"It's not my fault that the Prince of All Vegetables is a perv!" Erasa said. "Look, Vegeta, I have a boyfriend, and his name is Dende."

"Aw, Babe," Dende said, giving Erasa a sideways hug.

"The Namekian is asexual," Vegeta said. "You can't have children with him."

"I don't care," Erasa said. "We love each other, and that's more important than sex."

_Wow, that's not the Erasa I know,_ Videl thought.

"I'm trying to save an endangered species here, you idiots," Vegeta grumbled.

* * *

><p>Vegeta went back to his family, Dende and Erasa left together, and finally, Gohan and Videl were alone in the fighters' area.<p>

"So..." Videl said. "You saved the world again, Mr. Hero."

"You helped a lot," Gohan said. "If it wasn't for your great ideas, we would have lost."

"Hey, _you're_ supposed to be the smart one," Videl said. "You're the one who studies all the time."

"You're smart in your own way," Gohan said. "Smarter than Erasa, anyway. And that's good, because I like smart girls."

"Great," Videl said. She flicked her head, in order to flip her braid over her shoulder. Once again, Gohan found this action to be utterly adorable.

"So..." Videl said. "I seem to recall you saying something about taking me out on a date, once the tournament was over."

Gohan blushed. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Well...it's over now..." Videl said.

"Oh! Um..." Gohan said. "Where do you...what do you want to do?"

"Figure it out yourself, Smart Boy," Videl said.

"Well, _I_ want to..." Gohan said. His voice dropped, then he shook his head. "No, we can't do that. In fact...I dunno, Videl. I'm not sure we can date."

"What?" Videl asked. She was more disappointed than she would have expected. "Why _not?_ I thought you like me!"

"I do!" Gohan said. "I like you more than any other girl I know, but...well, Mom hates you, and she's probably going to lock me up in the house again to keep me away from you."

"Oh, yeah," Videl said. With all that happened involving Shredder, she had forgotten Chi-Chi's ultimatum against dating Gohan. "I forgot. We'll have to figure out a way to get past our crazy parents."

Gohan was going to offer to sneak out of the house at night, if that's what it took to see Videl again, when someone spoke up and interrupted him.

"We're not crazy," Chi-Chi said.

The two teens were surprised to find that Chi-Chi and Hercule were there. When did _they_ appear in the fighters' area?

"Mom!" Gohan said. "Why are—what are you doing here?"

"We've been talking about the two of you," Chi-Chi said.

Hercule crossed his arms. "And we both think you're too young to be dating," he said.

"Dad!" Videl said. "I'm sixteen! All the other gives have been dating for years now!"

"And I turn sixteen soon," Gohan said. Technically, he was already sixteen, thanks to his half-year spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but nobody counted that.

"But Bulma says that...she..." Chi-Chi said. She gulped. Bulma had made some very interesting comments about Chi-Chi being married at age nineteen, and being engaged to Goku many years earlier. "We...you can..."

"We're...we don't..." Hercule said.

"I..." Chi-Chi said.

"Yes?" Videl asked, patiently. She had a good idea of what they were going to say.

"Yeah, what is it?" Gohan asked. He had no idea what was going on.

Chi-Chi took a deep breath. "You two can see each other," she said. "You're both...very mature, and we trust you."

"YES!" Videl said. She and Gohan high-fived.

"But no dating on school nights, and no dates longer than an hour and a half," Hercule said. "And no inappropriate touching, and no—"

"That's enough," Chi-Chi said. "I don't like the idea of you having a girlfriend, and I especially don't like Videl. But.. _you_ like her, and...that's all that matters."

"Aw..." Gohan said. He hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. You'll learn to love Videl just like I do. She's wonderful."

Chi-Chi turned red and broke away from Gohan. "We're going home now," she announced. "Let's go get your brother and leave. It's been a long day."

Chi-Chi walked away, while Gohan went to Videl and kissed her on the cheek. Before he left to join up with his mother, Hercule grabbed him roughly.

"I don't care that you have freaky alien powers," Hercule said. "If you get my daughter pregnant, I will kill you."

"Yes, sir," Gohan said meekly.

* * *

><p>The World Martial Arts Tournament continued like normal, without any interruptions, after that. Hercule managed to win the championship again, proving that he isn't <em>entirely<em> worthless when it comes to fighting normal humans. Hercule wisely decided to retire before the next World Tournament, when Gohan and his friends qualified for the adult division.

The judges at the tournament officially disqualified Shredder from the Junior Division, and so they announced that Erasa was the official winner that year, with Gohan coming in second and Videl coming in third. Gohan put the small trophy up on his bookcase, next to a framed picture of him and Videl on their first date.

The two of them had considered ending the date with a kiss, but they decided not to rush things between them. Besides, Gohan could sense that Hercule was lurking nearby the whole time.

Erasa changed her ways and stopped being a flirty playgirl. She officially broke up with all the boys that she was dating, so she could become Dende's full-time girlfriend. She never once called him "Green Guy" again, not even when the two of them got into fights. Erasa still continued her work as an occasional superhero, and they eventually made a movie about her work.

Dende was ecstatic that he had found true love in Erasa, and the two of them eventually got married at age nineteen. They used the dragonballs to wish for a child of their own. Their child—a girl—inherited Dende's healing abilities, along with Erasa's Saiyan ability to gain a lot of power after a near-death experience. She took unfair advantage of these two skills in order to become one of the strongest fighters in the universe.

At Erasa's suggestion, Bulma invented a device that located people with Saiyan blood. It was a modified version of the dragon radar, and it ended up revealing a planet with about 500 Saiyans, in the far edge of the South Galaxy. New Vegeta, as they called the planet, had become a refuge for Saiyans attempting to escape from Frieza, and Vegeta was absolutely thrilled when he visited the planet. The Saiyans gave a royal procession for Vegeta and Bulma's family.

Chi-Chi mellowed out a lot as she got older, and she let Goten start dating at age twelve. Gohan thought this was grossly unfair, but when it became obvious that Goten was interested in dating Vegeta's daughters—the only girls strong enough to fight Goten and live—Gohan adopted a strict "better him than me" policy.

Gohan ended up enrolling in Orange Star High School that September, so he could spend more time with Videl. He was in the same class as Videl, Erasa and Sharpener, for their junior and senior years of high school. As you probably guessed, Gohan became the school valedictorian.

Videl eventually grew a few inches taller, so she was no longer so small compared to the rest of her classmates. She became one of Orange Star High's official All-American Student Athletes, after leading the baseball team to the state championships. Some people were confused as to how a character from a Japanese TV series could be named an all-American, but nobody questioned it.

Gohan and Videl's relationship moved slowly—much more slowly than Erasa would have liked—but it didn't bother them in the slightest. As Videl said, "Love isn't a race."

* * *

><p>Years later, when Videl and Gohan were engaged and taking marriage prep classes, they were invited to look back at the 24th World Martial Arts Tournament.<p>

"It's so weird, when you think about it," Videl said. "Thanks to the dragonballs, nobody knows what really happened, except for us. It's almost like it's, I dunno, 'The Lost World Tournament' or something."

"The Lost World Tournament, huh?" Gohan said. "That's a catchy name for it."

"I know, huh?" Videl asked.

"But that was when I first met you," Gohan said. "So it wasn't that big of a loss after all."

**The End**


End file.
